Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Says his $180 Galaxy A52 Broke in Dubai Heat

Highlights

• Pavel Durov uses a mid-range Galaxy A52 as his primary smartphone.
• The phone reportedly broke in half due to Dubai’s extreme heat.
• Durov chose the Galaxy A52 to align with typical Telegram users.
• Extreme heat can cause significant damage to smartphones, including battery swelling and processor overheating.

Pavel Durov, the billionaire entrepreneur behind VK and Telegram, has just suffered an unexpected fail with his mobile phone.

Dwarfing this, the $15.5 billion net entrepreneur has been rocking a mid-range Galaxy A52 as his daily driver for at least the past two years.

Now, that $180 Samsung phone is apparently broken in half, which Durov attributed to intensive heat in Dubai, where he has lived for several years.

The Surprising Pavel Durov Choice of Smartphone

That mid-range device was no accident; it had to be a proper, carefully taken decision by Durov to use Telegram just like most other users.

Most people use more budget-friendly smartphones, which are in the $200 range, rather than flagship models, so Durov wanted to associate with this base of users.

The device he has chosen to do this is the Galaxy A52, released in 2021.

Since 2022, it has been his main smartphone, eschewing high-end devices one might expect a tech billionaire to have a soft spot for.

The Dubai Heat Factor

Being a city of extreme temperatures, Dubai poses a special kind of challenges to electronic devices.

In summers, the temperatures can go higher than 40°C, and the environment of this UAE-based city is truly hostile to smartphones and their components.

While it’s uncommon for phones to break in half solely due to temperature, heat can cause significant damage to various components:

• Battery swelling: Extreme heat can cause lithium-ion batteries to expand, potentially damaging the phone’s internal structure.
• Processor overheating: High temperatures can cause the CPU and other internal components to overheat, leading to reduced performance or permanent damage.
• Screen damage: Prolonged heat exposure can affect the display, causing discoloration, warping, or cracking.
• Material weakening: Heat can weaken the phone’s materials, making it more susceptible to physical damage from drops or pressure.

The case of Durov shows how important it is to protect electronic Devices from extreme environmental conditions.

It also proves that high-quality devices are nothing against strong heat, no matter whose status and bank account is.

Not to allow the heat to kill the phone, it should not be left in direct sunlight or inside a hot car, and besides, people have to use it in a cold place as much as possible and refuse resource-intensive functions at heat.

FAQs

Why does Pavel Durov use a Galaxy A52 as his primary smartphone?

Pavel Durov chose the Galaxy A52 to closely align with the average Telegram user, who typically uses budget-friendly smartphones in the $200 range.

What caused Pavel Durov’s Galaxy A52 to break in half?

The extreme heat in Dubai, which can exceed 40°C, is believed to have caused the phone to break in half, highlighting the impact of high temperatures on electronic devices.

How does extreme heat affect smartphones like the Galaxy A52?

Extreme heat can cause battery swelling, processor overheating, screen damage, and material weakening, leading to potential physical damage and reduced performance.

What measures can be taken to protect smartphones from extreme heat?

To protect smartphones from heat damage, avoid leaving them in direct sunlight or inside hot cars, use them in cooler environments, and refrain from using resource-intensive functions in high temperatures.

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