Samsung Galaxy S3 handset catches fire?

Published Jun 21 2012, 19:00 BST  |  By Mark Langshaw

Samsung is investigating reports that one of its Galaxy S3 smartphones caught fire.

A customer from Ireland posted images of a heat-damaged handset on Boards.IE, and claimed that it emitted white flame, sparks and a loud bang.

The user wrote: "The phone was destroyed and it slightly burned a piece of plastic on the inside of my car. And they are refusing to give me a replacement; they had to send it off.

"Probably nothing I can do, but I'm really annoyed. That could have burned the side of my face or through my pocket and my leg, or set fire to my bed. It's very dangerous."

Samsung has pledged to look into the incident as soon as it receives the handset in question. The company addressed the matter in a statement on its blog.

"There have been recent online posts displaying pictures of a Samsung Galaxy S3 that appears to have heat-related damage at the bottom of the device. Samsung is aware of this issue and will begin investigating as soon as we receive the specific product in question," it said.

Last year, there were several reports of Apple's iPhone 4 combusting, including one incident where a device caught fire on board an Australian flight.