Amidst the horror of last night’s terrorist attacks in Paris emerges an unlikely hero – a Samsung smartphone.
A man, who nearly became a victim of Friday’s terrible atrocities, claims his mobile phone saved his life.
Speaking to iTele, the individual – known only as Sylvestre – described how his Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge protected his head against shrapnel from a nearby explosion.
“…I was crossing the street and straight away, boom, it exploded right in front of me,” he explains. “Everything was blown to bits and I felt stuff flying around and I left, I fell, and then I got back up.”
Sylvestre showed off the destroyed handset to cameras, revealing a smashed screen and a huge dent on the rear.
“This is the cell phone that took the hit,” he said. “It’s what saved me.”
The man added: “Otherwise my head would have been blown to bits. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2015
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a gadget providing vital help in a time of crisis.
Earlier this year, an 18-year-old survived a near-tragic accident after using Apple’s voice-activiated digital assistant – Siri – to alert emergency services.
Sam Ray became trapped under 5,000lbs of metal when a truck he was repairing fell on him.
However, he was able to yell ‘Call 911!’ to Siri, which resulted in a phone call that led emergency services to Ray’s exact location.
Have you ever had a lucky break thanks to technology? Tell us about it in the comments.
Check out our smartphone buyer’s video guide below:
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.