Re:US carriers halt Samsung Note 7 sales and replacements
by nkobeissi on Monday October 10, 2016 @07:41AM
(#12676456)
I want to understand how this story makes sense, and I can't. If you put the facts together, they don't add up. First, here's the chronology.
1. Original Note 7 phones were blowing up, Samsung issued a recall.
2. Samsung released (suspiciously quickly) a new phone that used new batteries made by Amperex, which also provides batteries for the iPhone line. [A]
3. A report comes in of a post-recall, "safe" phone blowing up while not being connected to a charger and being turned off to be put in the owner's pocket. [B]
4. Another report of a "safe" phone blowing up while in the back pocket of its owner. [C]
5. Two more reports come in, both of a Note 7 blowing up overnight while their owners were asleep. [D,E]
Second, here's what I don't understand:
* We know the batteries are likely safe since they come from a reputed manufacturer also providing iPhones their batteries. Heck, even the initial battery manufacturer was Samsung itself, and Li-Ion batteries aren't exactly a new and unstudied technology.
* Even after the new batteries were put in use, the phones are still exploding even when not connected to a charger, as explicitly stated by reports [D] and [C], and as is likely the case for [B] and [E].
How are these phones blowing up when, in all likelihood, the batteries are safe and have been replaced, and the phone isn't even under heavy use at the time of the explosion? Maybe you could blame CPU heating or a faulty charging mechanism, but the phones were not charging or under heavy load. All they were doing was discharging at an idle rate. This is literally the state least likely to cause this kind of explosion.
1. Original Note 7 phones were blowing up, Samsung issued a recall.
2. Samsung released (suspiciously quickly) a new phone that used new batteries made by Amperex, which also provides batteries for the iPhone line. [A]
3. A report comes in of a post-recall, "safe" phone blowing up while not being connected to a charger and being turned off to be put in the owner's pocket. [B]
4. Another report of a "safe" phone blowing up while in the back pocket of its owner. [C]
5. Two more reports come in, both of a Note 7 blowing up overnight while their owners were asleep. [D,E]
Second, here's what I don't understand:
* We know the batteries are likely safe since they come from a reputed manufacturer also providing iPhones their batteries. Heck, even the initial battery manufacturer was Samsung itself, and Li-Ion batteries aren't exactly a new and unstudied technology.
* Even after the new batteries were put in use, the phones are still exploding even when not connected to a charger, as explicitly stated by reports [D] and [C], and as is likely the case for [B] and [E].
How are these phones blowing up when, in all likelihood, the batteries are safe and have been replaced, and the phone isn't even under heavy use at the time of the explosion? Maybe you could blame CPU heating or a faulty charging mechanism, but the phones were not charging or under heavy load. All they were doing was discharging at an idle rate. This is literally the state least likely to cause this kind of explosion.
Can anyone explain what I'm missing?
Sources:
[A] https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-galaxy-note-7-explosion-ba...
[B] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/5/13175000/samsung-galaxy-no...
[C] http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201610080009.aspx
[D] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/9/13215728/samsung-galaxy-no...
[E] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/9/13218730/samsung-galaxy-no...