Another Samsung device's battery is staring down a recall, however, before you say, "Here we go again!", know this one is markedly different than the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco of 2016.
Certain batteries in refurbished Galaxy Note 4 smartphones have been recalled by FedEx Chain Supply, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), due to overheating concerns. About 10,200 batteries in all are affected.
Unlike the Note 7 situation, Samsung didn't supply the batteries. This time around, FedEx Supply Chain put the batteries into refurbished AT&T Note 4 phones, which were then issued as replacements through AT&T's Insurance program. The phones were distributed between December 2016 and April 2017.
The CPSC says Samsung and FedEx "determined some of the recalled batteries are counterfeit and show anomalies that can lead the batteries to overheat." They are non-OEM parts, meaning Samsung didn't supply the batteries as part of the Note 4's original production. It's not known where the counterfeit batteries were manufactured.
There's so far been one report of a counterfeit battery overheating, and no reports of injury or damage to property.
A Samsung spokesperson provided the following statement on the recall to TechRadar:
"FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit. 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."
Not surprisingly, customers are urged to stop using their Note 4 with the recalled battery immediately, and power down their device.
To affected customers, FedEx Supply Chain is mailing a free replacement battery along with a box to return the counterfeit. You'll know the replacement battery by the green dot.
With just over 10,000 batteries affected, this recall is much more limited in scope than Note 7 recall. Samsung recalled 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones last year because the phone was catching fire and exploding due to ill-fitting and faulty batteries.
A huge factor in why the Note 7 recall was such a mess was because its battery wasn't replaceable, so the entire phone had to be swapped out once a recall was issued. Had the battery been removable, it's less likely a total recall would have taken place.
The Note 4 battery, meanwhile, is removable, letting you keep your phone and easily exchange one battery for another.
Via The Verge
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