Galaxy Note 4 batteries recalled due to overheating

[Cal Jeffrey]

It seems that there is some more trouble with Samsung's Galaxy Note line of phones. Today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall on batteries used in the Galaxy Note 4. The power supplies are being recalled due to the potential to “overheat, posing burn and fire hazards.” The CPSC urges anyone with an affected device to immediately stop using it and power it down.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it was only last September that Samsung issued a recall of all Galaxy Note 7s due to a similar problem. Over a million phones were recalled with more than 90 confirmed incidents of batteries either overheating, exploding, or catching fire. This time the issue is much different from the Note 7 fiasco though.

The voluntary recall was initiated by FedEx Supply Chain and only pertains to 10,000 affected devices. Apparently, FedEx was handling phones for AT&T’s insurance program. At some point, the shipping company got a batch of “counterfeit batteries,” which they put into the refurbished devices and shipped as replacements to those filing claims through AT&T. The phones involved are refurbished Galaxy Note 4s distributed between December 2016 and April 2017.

So far there has only been one incident of a Galaxy Note 4 overheating with no injuries or property damage reported. Despite the problem being isolated to a relatively small number of phones, FedEx is taking the matter seriously. The shipping giant issued a statement via The Verge shortly after instituting the recall.

Counterfeit Samsung battery used in some refurbished Note 4s. (Image by US Consumer Product Safety Commission)

“FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit,” the statement reads. “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.”

The company has also set up a website called "Exchange My Battery" that has all the information on the recall that one may require, including instructions on how to replace the batteries. Anyone contacting FedEx for a replacement battery will be sent a new genuine Samsung battery marked with a green dot to avoid mixing them up during replacement. The shipment will also include a postage paid box to return the faulty battery for disposal.

Samsung dodged a bullet on this one since it was not involved in the affair, which is a good thing. Another wide-scale problem with its signature device line is the last thing the Korean manufacturer needs with the Galaxy Note 8 launch event right around the corner on August 23.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/70609-galaxy-note-4-batteries-recalled-due-overheating.html

 

[ForgottenLegion]

Is that an actual image of the battery?

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Is that an actual image of the battery?

Sure is. It's just been photoshopped to remove the branding.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Although Samsung's battery problems were only fully realised with the release of the N7, I think they've been having battery problems with most of their mobile devices (not just the Note series) long before the N7. I used to have a 2015 Galaxy A7 which always tended to run warmer than other devices even during light tasks although it never ever gave me any problems and I never noticed any unusually high battery consumption in the time that I used it. In fact the only reason I still don't have and use it was because the 5.5" screen made the device too big for my liking.

 

[sachouba]

Although Samsung's battery problems were only fully realised with the release of the N7, I think they've been having battery problems with most of their mobile devices (not just the Note series) long before the N7. I used to have a 2015 Galaxy A7 which always tended to run warmer than other devices even during light tasks although it never ever gave me any problems and I never noticed any unusually high battery consumption in the time that I used it. In fact the only reason I still don't have and use it was because the 5.5" screen made the device too big for my liking.

The overheating of your smartphone when using it probably has more to do with the processor than the battery. It's really noticeable when you go from an old inefficient processor (like the Snapdragon 615/617/808/810...) to a modern efficient processor (like the Kirin 650, Snapdragon 650, Exynos 7870...).

My old smartphones used to heat noticeably, but now, with the 14 nm process, they don't heat near as much.

The only time when a battery heats notably on a smartphone usually is when it's being charged.

 

[Uncle Al]

Let the exploding battery jokes begin!
Any word on how their current line of washing machines is doing???

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

The overheating of your smartphone when using it probably has more to do with the processor than the battery. It's really noticeable when you go from an old inefficient processor (like the Snapdragon 615/617/808/810...) to a modern efficient processor (like the Kirin 650, Snapdragon 650, Exynos 7870...).

My old smartphones used to heat noticeably, but now, with the 14 nm process, they don't heat near as much.

The only time when a battery heats notably on a smartphone usually is when it's being charged.

The phone was constantly warm, even when it was wasn't being used and it definitely wasn't the proc. The SD 615 did duty in a lot of different phones without any issues and while it could get warm if being pushed hard (each and every chipset will do so) it got no warmer than the SD 820 I now use. If it was just the proc getting warm, the heat would've been localised to the area where the proc is situated but the entire back of my device was always slightly warm, never worryingly though.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

Is that an actual image of the battery?

Sure is. It's just been photoshopped to remove the branding.

What Skidmark said. Samsung Note 4 battery:

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Although Samsung's battery problems were only fully realised with the release of the N7, I think they've been having battery problems with most of their mobile devices (not just the Note series) long before the N7. I used to have a 2015 Galaxy A7 which always tended to run warmer than other devices even during light tasks although it never ever gave me any problems and I never noticed any unusually high battery consumption in the time that I used it. In fact the only reason I still don't have and use it was because the 5.5" screen made the device too big for my liking.

The overheating of your smartphone when using it probably has more to do with the processor than the battery. It's really noticeable when you go from an old inefficient processor (like the Snapdragon 615/617/808/810...) to a modern efficient processor (like the Kirin 650, Snapdragon 650, Exynos 7870...).

My old smartphones used to heat noticeably, but now, with the 14 nm process, they don't heat near as much.

The only time when a battery heats notably on a smartphone usually is when it's being charged.

Samsung phones were well known for draining tons of power from the battery for no reason, and heating up quite a bit even without significant power draw. Happened to me on my note 4, s5, friends' two s4s, and family member's a series.

Third party batteries did not have this issue typically. Of course you cannot do that anymore, so....

 

[joe1946]

Wow, pure clickbait. It must be a slow news day when a small batch of bad batteries for old refurbished Note 4s makes the news. Samsung sells a billion phones a year and this was a FedEx battery problem not Samsung's.

 

[Bob the Tester]

Wow, pure clickbait. It must be a slow news day when a small batch of bad batteries for old refurbished Note 4s makes the news. Samsung sells a billion phones a year and this was a FedEx battery problem not Samsung's.

LOL Troll much?

It was never stated in the title or the body that this was a problem with Samsung. In fact, it was clearly says that this problem was on FedEx Supply Chain's end. This was an official recall alert from the CPSC. That qualifies as news regardless of the age of the product or the quantity being recalled. You obviously didn't even read the piece.