First Samsung, now Apple: Is the number '7' a curse for smartphones?

If there is anything that will leave a mark on 2016 (burn marks, literally), it’s the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The South Korean tech giant had to discontinue production and recall the device because of the sheer number of explosions reported by buyers.

In fact, carrying a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has become an international flight risk. With multiple incidents of overheating, smoking, catching fire and exploding, it is clear that the Samsung’s flagship device, the Galaxy Note 7 was ironically “not da bomb”.

Also read - Samsung kills the Galaxy Note 7: 10 things you need to know

But Samsung’s troubles with exploding smartphones are far from over. It seems that Samsung may be cursed with the number seven, as reports of a different Samsung device exploding have come to float.

A Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge owner in the US has claimed that his handset exploded while charging.

According to PhoneArena, the Galaxy S7 Edge in question was a replacement he had received, for only two works ago, his Galaxy Note 7 exploded. All the galaxy's bad luck, eh?

The owner of the handset claims that his device exploded while it was being charged overnight with the OEM charger.

This again is no lone incident of an S7 Edge exploding.

In yet another incident last month, a construction worker in the US sued Samsung after his Galaxy S7 edge exploded. Daniel Ramirez, who filed the lawsuit, bought the phone in March. Two months into using the phone, on May 30, Ramirez's Galaxy S7 Edge caught fire while he was carrying it in his pocket. Ramirez suffered second and third degree burns as his pants melted, scalding his leg. He had to undergo painful skin grafts.

But is it just Samsung that seems to suffer the curse of seven? Certainly not.

Even users of Apple’s flagship iPhone 7 have reported cases of the device catching fire. Mat Jones, a surfing instructor from New South Wales in Australia, claimed that his iPhone 7 exploded inside his car, while he was away for a lesson.

According to reports, he had kept the phone wrapped up inside his pants kept in the car, and returned to find the wagon on fire. “Ash was just coming from inside the pants which once you wrapped open the pants the phone was just melting inside of it,” recounted Mat.

While Apple is yet to determine what might have caused the overheating and the subsequent fire, there has been another report of an iPhone exploding. In the latter incident, an iPhone exploded while on its way to the owner. Reddit user kroopthesnoop posted pictures of the broken back iPhone 7 Plus, which went viral. “Something happened between the factory and delivery,” said the user, suggesting that the incident occurred even before he could use the device. He was given a replacement by Apple.

While the Apple incidents seem more or less isolated, only time will tell if there is any genuine cause of concern with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Samsung, on the other hand, has lost the people's trust. In a recent survey conducted with Samsung users, 40 per cent of Samsung phone owners say that they will never purchase another Samsung branded handset.

Systemic negligence, cheap material or a genuine curse of the number seven, Samsung will surely find out its worth in the months to come.

Also read - Could Galaxy Note 7 prove more explosive than Trump?