A three-year-old boy in Jiangsu, China, is recovering from severe burns after a Xiaomi 13 smartphone suddenly exploded while he was using it. The incident, first reported by Chinese tech site IT Home, has sparked widespread concern online and allegedly pushed Xiaomi to launch a formal investigation.
The boy, according to the family’s account, was seated on the sofa watching a video when the phone burst into flames with a loud boom. The child’s left hand and lower limbs were badly injured with blisters, blackened skin, and in some areas, skin peeling off. A video posted by the family shows the shocking aftermath, with relatives saying, “The child was just playing, and suddenly it exploded.”
If you’ve ever joked that “phones are ticking time bombs,” this case is the nightmare version of that line. The device in question is Xiaomi’s Mi 13, a flagship model. Importantly, the family said the unit was never repaired or modified after purchase. It was in factory condition.
Naturally, the incident has triggered outrage among netizens. Social media comments range from disbelief to anger, with many demanding accountability from Xiaomi.
Xiaomi Responds: “Needs Professional Testing”
When contacted, Xiaomi’s customer service reportedly admitted they are aware of the case but emphasized that the cause can’t be pinned down without professional testing. “The spontaneous combustion of mobile phones is a low-probability event,” one representative explained, adding that multiple factors ranging from battery quality to external environment could be involved.
The company confirmed that it has retrieved the damaged phone fragments. These will be sent to Xiaomi’s R&D center for technical analysis to determine what exactly triggered the explosion. For now, Xiaomi is sticking to the “wait and see” line, stressing that they can’t directly judge the cause before lab results are in.
Rare but Troubling
It’s worth noting that smartphone explosions, while rare, are not unheard of. Remember the famous case of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units? Yeah, lithium-ion batteries, the kind found in virtually all modern devices, are volatile when punctured, overcharged, or exposed to extreme heat. But when a premium handset, one marketed as a reliable flagship, suddenly goes boom in a child’s hands, it rattles trust on a whole other level.
This is not the kind of PR Xiaomi wants as it battles rivals in the competitive premium smartphone market currently dominated by Apple. Safety concerns, especially involving children, are explosive in more ways than one.
For parents, the image of a child simply watching cartoons when a phone ignites is chilling. It’s not just about Xiaomi anymore. It’s about how much we rely on these gadgets, often in the hands of our youngest family members. Xiaomi has allegedly promised to publish the findings once the tests are complete. Until then, questions remain: Was this a freak accident, or a red flag for other Xiaomi 13 owners?
For now, this little boy’s story is a painful reminder that even the smartest phones can carry risks we’d rather not think about.
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