You’ve probably heard of the two Yes Altitude 3 phones that caught on fire over the past week. YTL Communications (YTLC) is aware of this issue, and in a media statement, the company said that the smartphone in question is safe to use.
YTLC is currently working with an “internationally recognised independent laboratory” to investigate the cause of the Altitude 3 phones catching fire. Preliminary investigations have found that the screens of the two affected phones are not damaged, indicating that both devices did not explode.
The company elaborated that in the first incident of the Altitude 3 phone catching fire, the issue “appears to be confined to the battery.” The integrity of the phone isn’t affected, and with a new battery installed, the phone is still fully functional.
The first unit that caught on fire (Image source: Facebook)
As for the second incident, the Altitude 3 phone is said to be charged with a third-party charger connected to the phone through an older third-party cable. YTLC added that the phone was also kept inside a shirt pocket hung to the wall – as the power outlet is located relatively high on the wall – when it caught on fire.
“It was observed that sections of the charging cable in use at the time of the incident suffered considerable burns, with wiring exposed. The heat concentrated on the charging cable and top part of the phone around the charging port, suggesting a strong power surge that came in through the charging port,” YTLC said in the statement.
In both incidents, YTLC points to the battery of the Altitude 3 phones being the cause of the fire. But it’s worth noting that the company’s manufacturing partners – China Mobile and UTime Limited (battery manufacturer) – confirmed that the production run of the two affected phones are “fully in compliance with all pertinent international health and safety certifications.”
The second unit that caught on fire (Image source: Twitter)
“As confirmed by our manufacturing partners, our phones are safe for use and they fully stand behind the product and its quality. However, YTLC would like to remind our customers to only use original chargers supplied with the relevant phones and quality SIRIM-certified charging cables that are in good condition,” YTLC further added.
So there you have it: the Yes Altitude 3 phone – according to YTLC – is safe to use. Of course, always use the original charger and cable provided with the phone to avoid any possible safety issue; third-party chargers and cables are (usually) the cause of phones catching fire.