The fear: exploding cellphones

You can officially stop worrying about brain cancer and start worrying about third-degree burns—the Associated Press has just done a story about exploding cellphones and how the Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps getting more and more complaints about cellphone batteries exploding or causing fires (they've received 83 such complaints over the past two years). There's even the obligatory quote from the head of the Wireless Consumers Alliance (which we've never heard of, but sounds very impressive) about how basically making cellphone smaller and smaller is turning them into little bombs. Little bombs that we use to make phone calls, that is. The biggest source of the problem: sketchy third-party batteries.

[Thanks, Richard and Steve and everyone else who sent this one in]

[arkowi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Lets see who can come up with the best caption for that photo:

[Trevor Leon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

The reason why his cell phone blew up is because HIS HAIR IS SO DANG LONG! The phone got so hot under that blanket. I'd be ashamed to be on CNN/other news sources (such as the wonderful engadget) with my hair like that. Oh well.

[TheZodiac @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Caption:

Hi, I'm Keith Partidge. Nice to meet you. This is my exploding cellphone. Thanks then.

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

i think if the battery heated up to 600 degrees... around 300 degrees i might stop using it and go 'hey. this is a freaking lava phone. let's not hold on to it and press it against my face anymore.' ... but that's just me.

[Stuart @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Lithium batteries will explode if shorted out or pierced or annoyed in some way. A small fire started in the almost vice-presidents jet when a 9V lithium battery exploded - this caused the plane to return and land. How long until they are banned from all flights?

[tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

dude, I can't remember what time the junior Beatles reunion starts?

[George @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

83 people out of the 100 million that have cell phones?

I hope the news media starts running promos like "your cell phone can kill you, find out how at 11" and "your cell phone can kill you, but the other network is waiting to tell you how at 11. We tell you at 10, an hour earlier. Your cell phone might kill you before 11!"

You know, calm, rational anaylsis based on statistical probability.

[Joel McLaughlin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Hmm...lesseee.....83 victims.....how many cellphones have been sold over the last 2 years??? Millions??? This is INSIGNIFICANT! Sketchy batteries?? Ok.....I could see your point IF the case was made of metal and the sketchy ones are plastic but I have used 3rd party batteries on just about everything and mine has never exploded. I am so damn tired seeing companies have to pull the freakout because .2 percent of the product had problems. It's the litigous atmosphere that were are in that causes this.

[Joe Clay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Is it just me or does nothing look wrong with his phone, face, or arm that he's holding up as if it was severed off his body?

[Brian Budin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

"Osama....... It's for you!"

[ben @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

hmm
maybe i dont really want a cellphone
lol
next itll be
"ahh my ipod is blowin up!"

[KeithsDragons @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

:-D
Yup, exactly right ben!
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000857043223/

[bren @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

#8 you but it'd be nice to not have a failure rate. Your whole opinion would change if you//someone you know had it happen to them

[Terry Hayes @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I have a Motorola V60, the battery swelled up and poped the back on the phone (cover)off.
Is there a recall on the A4PB44CHMEIA Battery?

[Jared @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I'd be more afraid of the exploding vibrator... That'd be a bad day... or would it??

[davidclementz @ Jul 21st 2007 10:51PM]

my motorola 205 exployed in my house and I had $35000 fire THANK YOU MOTOROLA