They may be that much closer to finding out why the batteries in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 have been overheating and catching fire.
Investigators who’ve performed preliminary examinations of the handsets and batteries have suggested there is an issue with the batteries made by China’s Amperex Technology Ltd., which were supposed to be a safe alternative to those supplied by another company that led to scores of incidents in which phones burned and melted, according to a person familiar with discussions between government agencies and the company.
The issue may have surfaced even after Samsung began offering replacement Galaxy Note 7 handsets that were outfitted with batteries produced by Samsung SDI Co., said an anonymous sources. The SDI batteries were slightly too large and pinched when inserted in the phone, according to a U.S. consumer-safety agency. Samsung is a major shareholder in Samsung SDI.
Samsung e-mailed a statement proclaiming that “a thorough investigation takes time” and it is “premature to speculate on outcomes of the investigation.”
The company offered the following:
“We are working around the clock to analyze the causes of the remaining reported cases,” the company said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we announced that all carriers and retail partners globally stop sales. We have also announced that we have stopped production permanently of all Note 7 devices.”
Prior to the September 15 recall, there had been 92 reports of the Galaxy Note 7’s batteries overheating in the U.S., 26 of these cases causing burns. Samsung and agencies investigating the latest failures haven’t released details about what they believe is causing the incidents.
Samsung moved to recall its phones last month, offering replacements that it assured consumers were safe. The company reversed course this week after several of the replacement phones caught fire, shutting down production and asking retailers to stop selling all of the Note 7s.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Bloomberg