The Chinese tech company Xiaomi has demonstrated that a smartphone can stay usable and safe during a thunderstorm, as shown in a recent video release on YouTube. The probe focused on real-world stress and the device’s reliability under electrical duress, illustrating how modern handsets cope with natural electrical events without compromising basic functionality.
In the initial phase of the test, engineers deployed a Tesla-style current-emitting miniature setup alongside a Xiaomi 12S smartphone with the display active. Despite ongoing electrical discharges coursing through the apparatus, the phone continued to operate without noticeable performance degradation. The screen stayed responsive, apps kept running, and calls or data services remained active, underscoring the device’s resilience in a high-electrical-load scenario.
During the second phase, cellular communication was introduced into the environment, and the smartphone began receiving a call while subjected to continued electrical stress on its chassis. Even with the power surges present, the device did not fail to ring or answer, suggesting robust protection and robust internal shielding against transient currents that can occur during storms. This phase reinforced the idea that user-facing functionality can be preserved even when the surrounding electrical landscape is unstable.
Xiaomi concluded that lightning itself did not attract the device and did not compromise its operation. The technical rationale offered by the team points to a fundamental frequency distinction: lightning is a low-frequency phenomenon, whereas the smartphone’s internal circuitry is designed to operate at higher frequencies. The takeaway is that the phone’s internal protection mechanisms effectively isolate sensitive components from strong external transients, though the broader electrical grid can still experience surges that may affect ancillary equipment connected to power sources.
In a separate note, Xiaomi previously explored another popular consumer claim by testing whether toothpaste could remove scratches from smartphone screens. While the company conducted this earlier experiment to assess practical scratch-removal methods, today’s storm-resilience tests focused specifically on electronic performance under adverse weather conditions, offering a clearer view of device reliability in challenging environments.