An apparatus detects a free-fall state of an electronic device, determines an orientation of the electronic device with reference to gravity when the free-fall state is detected, and predicts that the electronic device will strike a surface within a critical angle range. The prediction is based on the detection of the free-fall state and on the orientation of the electronic device. An electromagnetic torque is generated within the electronic device that re-orients the electronic device outside the critical angle. The apparatus comprises a processing system, a free-fall sensor coupled to the processing system, an orientation sensor coupled to the processing system, a magnetic-field generator, and a first coil that is electrically coupled to the processing system.