Exploding Cell Phones a Growing Problem"> Exploding Cell Phones a Growing Problem

Reports are on the rise that cell phones can explode or burst into flames thanks to bad batteries and chargers. 83 reports have been filed in the past 2 years. Now, call me cynical, but 83 out of the millions of units on the market doesn’t sound like a real problem to me, but then again, I haven’t lost all my hair in a fireball while chatting.

According to AP Newswire, “Some consumer advocates say the cause goes beyond bad batteries making their way to the market. They point to the increasing pressure on battery and phone makers to fit more capabilities into small instruments. ‘If you’re cramming more and more power in a small space, what you’re making is a small bomb,’ said Carl Hilliard, president of the California-based Wireless Consumers Alliance, which has been tracking incidents of cell phone fires and explosions.

“Though legitimate batteries can go wrong, there is a greater chance that poorly made, counterfeit ones will lack safety devices to detect overheating or overcharging. The lithium-ion batteries found in most cell phones can overheat if, for example, heat vents are covered. The CPSC is trying to determine if improved venting is enough by itself to ensure safety. ‘We have seen temperatures as high as 600 degrees, and you can have a torch-like effect if these batteries don’t function properly,’ Wolfson said.

“Angela Karasek, a 21-year-old paralegal in Philadelphia, bought her Motorola phone and battery together from a Nextel store. She awoke one night a few weeks ago to what she described as a pinging sound and then saw fire. Her cell phone battery had blown out, igniting a doll about three feet away. She ran to her parents’ room for help, and her father quickly put out the fire.”