Jio Phone Explodes While Charging; Company Denies QC Issues

With over a few million orders in the waiting list for the Jio Phone, Reliance Jio is riding high with their ‘India ka Smartphone’ initial success. But, as per a recent report by Phone Radar, a Jio Phone in Kashmir exploded while charging, with the back of the phone completely burnt and melted.

A Reliance Retail spokesperson said the company is well aware of the accident, and has found in their initial investigation that the damage was caused intentionally, and looks to be a case of intentional sabotage. The Twitter account which first posted the image of the exploded Jio Phone has since deleted the tweet.

The Incident

As per the report, a Jio Phone exploded in Kashmir while it was being charged. The image was first posted on Twitter, and it soon went viral. Though the image and account were deleted, the images show that the back panel of the Jio phone has totally melted, though the battery underneath still appears to be intact. The explosion did not affect the front panel. The phone’s charger too has melted. When a Lyf distributor inspected the device, he declared that the battery is still operational.

Case Of Faulty Battery?

The report also added that this appeared to be a case of faulty battery, which caused the blast. The battery of the burnt unit still remain functional. Though the charging cable burned down totally, the report suggested that the cause of the explosion could be due to a fault in the battery or the charger. The company claims that the incident could be a deliberate attempt to defame the company and the Jio Phone.

Reliance Jio Denies QC Issues

A spokesperson from the Reliance Retail has said that the Jio Phone has been specially designed and manufactured with global standards, where each Jio Phone passes through a process of stringent quality control. The initial investigation has suggested that looks like a case of intentional sabotage. The device was damaged intentionally to stage the accident and to malign the interests and brand. Jio has promised appropriate action, based on further investigations.

Jio Phone Bookings Halted

The company claims it to be a case of “intentional sabotage”. With their initial investigation, they have claimed there was nothing wrong with the unit. The company said that this appears to be an intentional attempt to “defame and malign the brand”. Reliance Jio has halted bookings of the Jio Phone and said the pre-bookings for the feature phone would again start after Diwali. Jio has also promised to deliver the ordered 6 million Jio Phone units by Diwali.

While the incident may be termed as deliberate by the company, Jio’s Lyf Water 1 phone had also exploded last year. Jio suggests use of original battery and charger provided with the device, to ensure safety!