OnePlus Nord 2 explodes in owner's pocket causing second-degree burns, OnePlus assisting with expenses

An owner of the OnePlus Nord 2 in India is recovering in hospital following an explosion of the device while it was in his pocket. According to reports, the teenager was riding his bicycle when the device suddenly exploded setting alight his jeans and also causing severe second-degree burns to his right thigh. Images of the phone clearly show that it has exploded from the left hand side leaving it completely destroyed.

After a Twitter user posted the images to social media tagging OnePlus, the company is said to have offered to refund the cost of the phone as well as cover the teenager’s medical expenses. MySmartPrice has been in touch with OnePlus India with a company representative telling it that OnePlus takes these matters very seriously and is investigating the matter further. 

Unfortunately for OnePlus, this isn’t the first occasion that a OnePlus Nord 2 has exploded. There have been at least two other reported instances of OnePlus Nord 2 devices with the company blaming external damage being at fault in one instance. It remains to be seen what the company concludes in this instance. Naturally, it brings to mind the infamous withdrawal from the market of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 after it was determined a design flaw put the device at risk of catching fire and exploding.

The OnePlus Nord 2 was launched on July 28, is an upper mid-range phone and features a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 65 W fast charging. Lithium-ion batteries in smartphones have been known to explode from time-to-time, but usually through damage caused by the device being dropped. Sometimes, damage to the battery can be caused by using an unofficial third-party charger. A manufacturing fault in the batteries themselves could also be a possibility. Rarely, however, as in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the issue arises from a design flaw. 

The OnePlus Nord 2 has been a popular phone and the company will have sold many thousands of units and thus it is difficult to determine what is the root cause of the latest explosion. We will keep an eye on this story as it continues to develop.

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