We’ve all seen the bend tests, the hammer tests, and the fire tests carried out by prolific YouTubers on the latest and greatest the smartphone world has to offer. Now, we get to see the life-saving test as Frenchman Sylvestre’s life is saved when a piece of shrapnel from from a blast that happened only metres away was blocked by his Samsung Galaxy S6 edge.
Caught in one of the two separate explosions that occurred near the Stade de France national stadium during a match between France and Germany, Sylvestre had just hung up the phone when he heard the explosion. Shrapnel, which would have hit his head and probably killed him just moments later, instead left a hole in the back of his Galaxy S6 edge and a shattered screen.
The attack on the Stade de France stadium was part of six coordinated acts of terror that struck Paris only a few days ago, leaving at least 128 dead along with 180 injured. According to a New York Times report, responsibility for the tragic attacks was claimed by the Islamic State and is alleged to be “the first of the storm”.
Although miraculous, this is not the first time a smartphone has saved someone’s life as back in 2013 an HTC EVO 3D stopped a bullet aimed at the chest of a petrol station attendant during an attempted robbery in a petrol station in Orange County, Florida. The bullet went through the man’s pocket but stopped short thanks to his smartphone.
HTC, moved by the incident, sent him a “Glad You’re OK” care package which included a brand new HTC One M7 and several accessories including an on-the-go charging device, the device’s official car dock, a HTC laptop bag, and a mug featuring HTC’s “Hipster Troll Carwash” character.
Whether Samsung will follow in HTC’s footsteps remains to be seen, but it is a little reassuring to know that our smartphones can occasionally save our lives in more ways than one, as long as the phone is in the right place at the right time.
