A unit of the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE wireless earbuds suddenly exploded in Turkey while the user was using it. The alarming incident has caused permanent hearing loss for the user. The incident was reported on Samsung’s forum in Turkey. The explosion involved a man who gave his Galaxy Buds FE wireless earbuds to his girlfriend. The wearable reportedly exploded in her ear, causing permanent hearing damage.
Samsung claims earbuds are “deformed” and offers a free replacement
According to the translated post on Reddit, a Turkish Galaxy Buds FE user reported the incident on the company’s forums. When the user took the earbuds to the technical service center, he received a careless response from Samsung. The company alleged that the earbuds didn’t explode and were only “deformed”. As a goodwill gesture, Samsung only offered a replacement unit of the Galaxy Buds FE for free to the user.
The user bought a pair of the Galaxy Buds FE to pair with his Galaxy S23 Ultra flagship. The earbuds had a 36 percent charge when he unboxed them. After his girlfriend borrowed the earbuds to test, one of them purportedly exploded inside her ear. The horrific incident led to a significant hearing for the user.
Notably, the Samsung service center in Kemalpasa, Adana was shocked to see the remains of the earbud. The company offered a free replacement unit and advised the user to take the offer or leave it. The user was also advised to pursue his legal rights regarding the incident.
Someone in Turkey suffers permanent hearing loss after her Galaxy Buds FE suddenly exploded in her right ear.
And you know what Samsung offered? A replacement Galaxy Buds FE unit. 💀 pic.twitter.com/nsgnF6rCoN
— Alvin (@sondesix) September 24, 2024
Samsung’s careless response to the incident has captured the attention of international media outlets. The user said that he would complain about the incident and would not let it go. Critics are urging the South Korean tech giant to take the explosion matter more seriously, apart from ensuring customer safety.
But this is indeed sus.
I’m not blaming Samsung or the user for now, although it looks like the explosion originated from an area around the eartip instead of the body of the earbud.
I hope Samsung is investigating this issue though. pic.twitter.com/M41uDVOFvB
— Alvin (@sondesix) September 24, 2024
Galaxy Buds FE explosion brought back memories of the Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco
The event brought back memories of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 battery crisis in 2017. The company had to initiate a recall of millions of the Galaxy Note 7 due to faulty batteries that overheated and exploded. The incident significantly damaged the brand’s reputation globally. Finally, the phone maker had to completely discontinue selling the Galaxy Note 7 units across the globe.
We expect the brand to take more precautions while quality testing its products after the latest incident regarding the Galaxy Buds FE.
Akshay Kumar is a veteran tech journalist with an interest in everything digital, space, and nature. Passionate about gadgets, he has previously contributed to several esteemed tech publications like AndroidHeadlines, 91mobiles, PriceBaba, and Gizbot. Whenever he is not destroying the keyboard writing articles, you can find him playing competitive multiplayer games like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty.
