Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Batteries Are Being Recalled For Overheating Risk (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the can't-catch-a-break dept.

According to The Verge, over 10,000 batteries for the Galaxy Note 4 are being recalled for risk of overheating that could lead to burns or fires. Given last year's Note 7 fiasco, this recall sure doesn't sound good. It is, however, far more limited than the Note 7 recall and doesn't appear to be Samsung's fault. The Verge reports: Only phones refurbished through AT&T's insurance program and handled by FedEx Supply Chain are impacted by the recall. Some of the refurbished phones apparently ended up with "counterfeit" batteries that include anomalies that could make them overheat. Fortunately, the Note 4 has a replaceable battery, so this recall isn't as big of a deal. Owners can just buy a new battery to use in their phone until the recall is taken care of. FedEx is currently sending out replacement batteries as well as boxes for returning the recalled phones. "FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit," the spokesperson said. "The refurbishment program was managed by FedEx Supply Chain and operated independently of Samsung. Any affected owners should contact FedEx Supply Chain at 1-800-338-0163 or go online at www.exchangemybattery.com for more information." There's only been one report of a phone overheating and no damage to people or property because of it.

42 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Time for The Boss to do a rewrite... by hyades1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Romeo and Juliet, Samsung and Delilah...ooh-ooh, FIRE.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:Time for The Boss to do a rewrite... by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Springsteen wrote it, my friend. He actually wrote it for Elvis, who unfortunately died before he could record it.

      Look it up.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  2. Bad Journalism 101 - Headline is _wrong_ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Samsung batteries are not being recalled, Samsung had nothing to do with it. The headline is completely misleading and the summary doesn't do anything to dispel that until three sentences in. If anything it tries to reinforce that it's a "Samsung" problem before saying it's not. Try:

    "Counterfeit batteries for the Samsung Note 4 are being recalled"

    Or better yet:

    "AT&T and FedEx recall counterfeit batteries for Samsung Note 4"

    But neither of those are as click-baity.

  3. Samsung should use this by mrlinux11 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Samsung should take from this that if the battery is user replaceable it is less costly to fix and maybe should go back to making phones with replaceable batteries

    1. Re:Samsung should use this by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Also as this is showing, people will try to cheap out when getting a replacement battery, Thus having a situation where their product is dangerous. While they may not be legally liable, they get bad press when the article says Samsung galaxy note overheating and burning people. A non replaceable battery reduces the chance that people will cheap out and make their product dangerous.

      I recall some stories blaming Apple for their phone catching on fire, while the user was found to use some cheap 3rd party charger that more or less just connected the USB cable directly to the AC house power socket.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Samsung should use this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      While they may not be legally liable, they get bad press when the article says Samsung galaxy note overheating and burning people.

      Why would the article mention that Samsung is at fault when it's not a Samsung battery? The battery maker would lose its reputation and its business.

      Besides, integrating battery into the phone was/is a stupid idea. CPUs and GPUs get hot very quickly (for example while playing 3D games). A user replaceable battery would be in a separate compartment therefore it would have a lower chance getting hot when the CPU+GPU are hot because plastic is not a good conductor of heat.

      I recall some stories blaming Apple for their phone catching on fire, while the user was found to use some cheap 3rd party charger

      Some stories may blame Apple, but if the problem is prevalent, they will blame the charger manufacturer.

    3. Re:Samsung should use this by mrlinux11 · · Score: 1

      Well they have another tool to get people to replace phones, they stop providing updates to the OS

    4. Re:Samsung should use this by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      They would imply that it was Samsung, because
      1. It is a big company
      2. It has a near fanatical loyal followers.
      3. History with the Note 7
      4. Make more people scared, so they read the article.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Samsung should use this by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Samsung did take note. By making batteries non user replaceable they control the supply chain and this scenario of counterfeit batteries is avoided.

      It's a shame the facts of this case doesn't fit the narrative you want to apply.

    6. Re:Samsung should use this by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      Also as this is showing, people will try to cheap out when getting a replacement battery

      I sort-of did when I had an S4. Went on to Amazon, put in the model number, and there were bunch of options. I got the best combo of price and shipping. Turns out that battery wasn't quite the same as the original. After some time, I kept finding that the battery life of my phone seemed a bit random, and sometimes it would get a little hot. Finally figured out that it might be the battery, marked it clearly, and then paid attention. Sure enough, the new battery was the flaky one. A close examination showed that it was definitely not quite the same as the original. Very, very close, but subtle differences in the printing.
       
      It goes to show how far the Chinese counterfeiters will go to make a similar product. Or it's possible that this came from a batch that failed QC, but which were saved from the recycling bin and sold anyway. While I get the hate for glued-in batteries, I get the advantages of them as well. No risks that customers buy what seem to be ok spares but which turn out to be counterfeit, and you can better waterproof your phone if the user can't open it.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    7. Re:Samsung should use this by mrlinux11 · · Score: 1

      It does fit, had the Note 7 batteries been replaceable they would not have had to recall all of those phones at 900 dollars a clip instead they could have sent out the 25 or 30 dollar battery.

    8. Re:Samsung should use this by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      False. Just like in this case where they are recalling dangerous batteries they still would have recalled the battery. Postage makes up some 75% of the cost of the recall.

      But since you missed the fact that we're now talking about the Note 4, and that it has a different failure mechanism to the Note 7 if you want to talk about both scenarios at once it just means that your post will be wrong regardless of how you spin it.

  4. Why I never trust refurbished products.. by evolutionary · · Score: 1

    I never failed to get screwed when I got refurbished years ago, so I learned...better used than refurbished. Reason being, refurbished products typically are defective products under warranty so the customer typically gets a repaired tested refurbished device (new devices should be sent if under warranty but...especially with hard drives, you get items typically labeled "refurbished" or "reconditioned") and the warranty of course doesn't get a time reset. When it comes to refurbishing items, companies are not particularly picky or detailed oriented. As long as it boots or passes a very rudimentary scan, that passes and is set to the RMA requester, customer, sales force, whatever. In this case it backfired because someone got cheap with the battery.

    As for fake batteries from China, gee what a surprise.

    --
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
    1. Re:Why I never trust refurbished products.. by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      There really are no moving parts or active components when it comes to a cell phone battery. It's just a block of goo enclosed in a bag. "Refurbished" probably means that the battery has passed tests that check to make sure the battery has most of its rated capacity, and isn't physically damaged. If you buy a "used" battery, you won't get either of those, and may be left with a battery that is almost as dead as the one you're replacing.

      Earlier this year, I bought a refurbished battery for my LG phone on Amazon. There were plenty of places selling "compatible" batteries, but the reviews weren't good, saying that the battery didn't last long enough. The LG refurbished battery that I bought was sold directly by LG, so I could be assured of quality. I installed it, and it brought my phone's battery life back to like-new levels, and I have had NO OVERHEATING.

    2. Re:Why I never trust refurbished products.. by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

      Nowadays when I buy Apple products, I pretty much always buy refurbished. You save 10-15 percent, and you get the new warranty. You can even buy the same extended warranty as a new product, at the same price, if you wish.

      I've had good luck with Apple's refurbished program.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  5. +1 for removable batteries by wardrich86 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No idea why manufacturers are so gung-ho on sealing the battery into the device. The Note 7 recall would have been far cheaper if users could have just removed the battery...

    1. Re:+1 for removable batteries by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

      We all know why; they know that most people won't be arsed to replace it when it starts to go bad, letting them sell another incrementally 'improved' generation of crap.

      --
      There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
    2. Re:+1 for removable batteries by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

      The also save a few pennies on the BOM, so there's that too.

      --
      There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
    3. Re:+1 for removable batteries by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      That may or may not be part of it - guaranteed obsolescence, but then again, that's pretty much guaranteed within 5 years anyways, if the damaged screens, cases or internals from dropping or soaking don't kill them first. It also allows more freedom in design, where it doesn't have to fit a cube of x dimensions with connectors on the wrong side. Just squeeze it into place, a little elasticity won't kill it, and done. Now if they would allow you to swap it out....

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    4. Re:+1 for removable batteries by Bearhouse · · Score: 2

      It's been discussed here a lot; apart from stinging your customers for replacement costs, there are actually some very good reasons - lower BoM and manufacturing costs, smaller volume (so thinner phone) for a given capacity plus potential for greater reliability even waterproofing (can have a hermetic case more easily if you glue it shut).

      Unfortunately actually getting all those benefits requires competent & like-minded bosses, marketeers, engineers and suppliers.
      (Of the sort that used to exist at Nokia, but don't seem to anymore...maybe because people flock to buy overpriced crap from Apple and others.)

    5. Re:+1 for removable batteries by LordWabbit2 · · Score: 1

      Because there is more profit gluing the device together so that every two years your battery life is so sucky you replace the phone (instead of just the battery).

      --
      There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
    6. Re:+1 for removable batteries by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      It's the fight for the thinnest phone evar! Removable batteries require removable covers and latches, which adds to the phone's thickness.

    7. Re:+1 for removable batteries by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      5 years? LOL! That's probably the best case scenario. Batteries die within a year (if subjected to heavy CPU/GPU tasks)

      Perhaps a phone is not the hammer you're looking for?

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    8. Re:+1 for removable batteries by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Why? When the majority cost is in the shipping back and forth then the cost is similar. In any case if the batteries were sealed in the Note 4 we wouldn't have this problem as users would not have counterfeit batteries in their phones.

    9. Re:+1 for removable batteries by wardrich86 · · Score: 1

      if the batteries were sealed in the Note 4 we wouldn't have this problem as users would not have counterfeit batteries in their phones.

      Touche. Though the first point I think is a bit off because it's missing the labor involved in replacing the battery in the returned units.

    10. Re:+1 for removable batteries by wardrich86 · · Score: 1

      I can't wait until we get a phone so thin that it snaps under its own weight. This whole "Thin phone" war needs to end... it's stupid.

    11. Re:+1 for removable batteries by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      Sure, Note 7 would have been cheaper if they could have swapped the batteries, but would it have been cheaper than gluing in the batteries in the entire Note product line? If you make all your devices with removable batteries, they all cost more money, are harder to waterproof, thicker, and customers can stick dodgy spares into them anyway. If you glue batteries in the entire line, sure, maybe you have one expensive recall, but does it cost more than not doing that? I've got no idea, but I think it's simplistic to just use hindsight and call it a bad idea. Had they never had that one recall, hindsight would likely have called the glue a great, cost-saving idea.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    12. Re:+1 for removable batteries by wardrich86 · · Score: 1

      I don't see the fascination with having thin phones. I consider the S5 to be about as thing as I'd want a phone, though I'd prefer something more rugged still. This race for thin phones is ridiculous. I'm also not sure why we need waterproofed phones. As long as it survives use in the rain, that should be good.

    13. Re:+1 for removable batteries by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      I agree somewhat. But thin is nice if you're going to put a case on it. My wife went cheap on her latest phone, and it's noticeably thick once you put a decent case on it. The more expensive ones tend to not have that problem - I find my S7 with a case is a really nice thickness. Sure, you can also not put a case on your phone - I survived 3 years without one - but a case is not bad insurance.
       
      Likewise, the need for water-resistant phones is a bit of insurance, but that need is heavily dependent on your lifestyle. Got kids? Water-resistant makes a phone really appealing. Hell, even with 2 cats I like the idea, because flying kitties do happen, and all it takes is one drink near the phone do to a little more than rain on it.
       
      There was a time when I used to carry around a zip-lock bag, because I figured if it ever down-poured on me, it would be nice to have a phone-saving device. Only used it once, but was glad I had it. So yeah, water-resistant phones aren't really necessary, but I like knowing that a puddle, drink, or toilet shouldn't do much harm to my phone.
       
      I loved my S4, and I loved the removable batteries. But the wear-and-tear on the phone changing them often was not trivial, and I spent a lot of time micro-managing my battery use and charging. I don't miss that, and with the fast-charge of the S7, I don't miss the removable batteries at all. 15 minutes of charge gets me like 40% battery, while an hour puts me well north of 80%. Wireless charging means I drop my phone on the cradle and walk away, making it even more hassle-free. I really thought I'd miss the removable batteries, but nope.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    14. Re:+1 for removable batteries by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      it's missing the labor involved

      You should check out a Chinese / Taiwanese factory before you think the labour quote is missing in the figure ;-)

      No seriously, the largest component cost of this would be the shipping from the USA back to the factory. Shipping from China / South Korea is subsidised so that cost is worn mostly by the USPS thanks to an ancient treaty.

  6. Re:Who cares by GuB-42 · · Score: 2

    It's summer, and people are overheating and dying. Need to recall the human race.

    Some Christians call it rapture.

  7. Re:Who cares by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

    That's why I only believe in Z! Kneel before Z!

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  8. Re:Who cares by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

    That's why I only believe in Z! Kneel before Z!

    Dracarys!

  9. Re:Offtopic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Like soldered RAM, they are designed for planned obsolescence, another money gouging trick.

  10. Counterfeit batteries by jedaustin · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are a ton of these counterfeit batteries for sale; even on reputable places like Amazon. I have a Note4 and since I can't tell the bad from the good ended up getting branded OEM batteries with good reviews instead of Samsung branded batteries. I've had zero issues with my OhmniPAX, Anker, or Powerbear batteries.

    1. Re:Counterfeit batteries by jedaustin · · Score: 1

      They have pretty good customer support; I bet they'll replace it with a new one.

  11. Re:Who cares by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    I was referring to General Zod in Superman II, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  12. Re:Bad Commenter 101 - Whinging is _wrong_ by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    The title is vague, and arguably misleading. A good many readers, perhaps most, would interpret that title as meaning batteries manufactured by or installed by Samsung itself. How people are likely to interpret a headline is probably the most important metric of its quality, even if it's not "technically" wrong. If the article really is talking about counterfeits, then the title probably should have used the phrase "counterfeit batteries" or equivalent.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  13. Re:Who cares by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

    I was referring to General Zod in Superman II, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

    I understood your reference... Dracarys! is High Valerian for "Dragonfire" and it's what Daenerys Targaryen says to encourage her dragons to spew forth a flaming hell fire that destroys anything in its path.. Including people that refuse to bend the knee to her or are bending knees to the wrong ruler.

  14. Re:Who cares by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    ...it's what Daenerys Targaryen says...

    Still don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Is it Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  15. Re:Who cares by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

    ...it's what Daenerys Targaryen says...

    Still don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Is it Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings?

    ... Game of Thrones.

  16. Re:Who cares by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    What's that? Is it like musical chairs?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook