Replacement Battery on Samsung Galaxy S4 Catches Fire on Bed

The Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone of Ariel Tollfree, a 13-year-old from North Texas, burned while it was on her bed. Tollfree, who sleeps with her devices near her pillow, didn't notice it slip underneath the pillow when she slept.

She woke up in the night when she smelled something burning but ignored it, only to wake up in the morning to see her device burned to a crisp.

When she and her father contacted Samsung to complain, it was discovered that Tollfree was using a replacement battery made by another manufacturer, which is a practice frowned upon by the South Korean phone maker.

The Samsung spokesperson insisted their products are safe and pointed to warnings to users not to cover their units with bedding or other material that could prevent airflow and cause the batteries to swell and burn.

However, Thomas Tollfree, the father, said they didn't read the warning which he insisted should be a big warning like those found on cigarette boxes. Ariel learned her lesson the hard way and said that phone owners should not sleep with their devices on the bed, but on a nightstand.

Samsung requested the Tollfrees to send the burnt phone so the company could investigate the incident further. Despite the fault being with Ariel, Samsung said it would replace not only her Galaxy S4 but also her bed, mattress and pillow.

In the past there had been reports of iPhones electrocuting their owners who used their device while charging the unit.

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