A viral TikTok video seems to depict the flashlight feature of the Samsung Galaxy S26 producing enough heat to burn through a black trash bag. In contrast, the clip also showcases a comparable test performed on the iPhone 17 Pro, which seemingly has no impact on the bag. It’s worth noting that the torch’s burn hole is quite small, whereas the bag appears notably thin. Nonetheless, it raises concerns that the feature generates such significant heat. For instance, what occurs if the light is positioned close to your skin? What is really happening here?
Of course, a strong light like a flashlight will emit some heat the longer it remains on. This is concerning enough that we have witnessed similar incidents with other smartphones. Users have reported that the LED flashlight on the Pixel 10 Pro might harm the phone, as they observed artifacts in photos after keeping the light on for prolonged durations. This issue is not limited to smartphone flashlights alone; conventional flashlights can also produce heat when operated for extended times.
Additional findings from Tom’s Guide indicate that it’s feasible to burn through a garbage bag with Samsung’s newest flagship device. Tests carried out by the site revealed that the flashlight of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, at full brightness, swiftly burned a black trash bag. However, both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Google Pixel 10 Pro also melted the plastic. Thicker areas of the trash bag were not spared from the impact, but no visible melting occurred when a white trash bag was tested. This is likely due to the black color’s ability to absorb more light and heat. We attempted to replicate these findings using a Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Galaxy S26 Ultra, but observed no significant damage. It is possible that the devices might turn off the light to avoid overheating their internals, but that doesn’t completely eliminate the heating issue.