Marklar

Did a DROID 2 really explode in a Texas man’s ear last week, prompting the need for four stitches and possible compensation from Motorola Inc.?

There’s no straight answer, yet, on the incident that supposedly occurred late last week.

Aron Embry, 30, of Texas, says he was just finishing a call on his DROID smartphone when he heard a loud “pop" and blood began trickling down his face. According to multiple media outlets, the glass on the DROID’s face is indeed shattered.

But what’s strange is that, instead of going to the hospital, Embry first went to see his wife at her job. There is rampant Internet speculation that Embry does not have health insurance, raising the question of whether he is trying to extort Motorola.

For its part, DROID-maker Motorola has declared that it will investigate the alleged explosion “thoroughly."

“Motorola's priority is, and always has been the safety of our customers, and all Motorola products are designed, manufactured and tested to meet or exceed international and local standards for consumer safety," the company said in a statement.

To be sure, reports of exploding cell phones are not new. But the DROID has not been known to have such problems.