Samsung Galaxy S III fire not caused by device

An independent investigation has determined that the recent case of a Samsung Galaxy S III phone seemingly randomly going up in flames, was caused by an "external energy source" and not because of anything with the Galaxy S III device itself. Of course Samsung still faces the backlash of the publicity caused by the incident, but can rest on its laurels of knowing it is not to blame.

The investigation was conducted by Fire Investigations UK (FIUK). "The energy source responsible for generating the heat has been determined as external to the device" and "the device was not responsible for the cause of the fire," the report stated. It had been reported, or at least assumed, that the fire was caused by overheating of the phone itself.

The report goes even further to say just how impossible it would have been for the Galaxy S III to have incurred such damage on its own: "The only way it was possible to produce damage similar to the damage recorded within the owner's damaged device was to place the devices or component parts within a domestic microwave." The user who first brought about this media debacle, known by the online handle dillo2k10, wrote a message saying, "This was not a deliberate act but a stupid mistake. I am unable to comment any further." He said he wanted "to retract my original statement."

[via Samsung Tomorrow]