10,200 refurbished batteries for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 recalled over risks of overheating
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Only a year after its Galaxy Note 7 was hastily recalled after numerous reports of explosions, refurbished Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4’s are also seeing similar issues.
Some 10,200 Galaxy Note 4’s devices were refurbished and distributed between December 2016 and April 2017. However, it has since been discovered that some of the refurbished devices contain counterfeit batteries and may overheat, posing risks of burning users or apparently even spontaneously combusting.
Samsung has announced that “FedEx Supply chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit.”
Product regulators filed a notice over the recall, explaining that, “the recalled batteries are counterfeit and show anomalies that can lead the batteries to overheat.”
After the multiple explosions and burns the Galaxy Note 7 caused last year, regulators are perhaps not taking any chances and by urging all customers who own an affected device to contact FedEx for a replacement.
Only the batteries placed into a refurbished AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 4 are reportedly affected by the recall. The handset itself is classed as safe, but the battery it contains may be a counterfeit and must be replaced. Samsung are keen to distance the recall from its own responsibilities as the Note 4’s do not carry any defect themselves.
Samsung are blaming the recall on FedEx as it was the shipping company’s supply chain that reportedly carried out the refurbishment and replacement program. Apparently, the operation was carried out completely independent of Samsung.
The South Korean electronics manufacturer are also unhappy that the batteries are being called Galaxy Note 4 batteries because the replacement batteries themselves were not made by Samsung. The association-by-proxy with Samsung is a painful reminder of the recent scandal that saw a design defect affecting Note 7 devices, though.
Samsung and FedEx are keen to note that the recall isn’t as bad as the major Galaxy Note 7 recall. The Note 7 caused global concern when several phones reportedly exploded – some mid-flight – due to an apparent design defect in trying to squeeze in the battery into the tightly-packed device. The seemingly oversized battery was improperly fitted and touched some of the electronic components, resulting in explosions.
FedEx supply chain say that they only received one complaint of over-heating and no injuries were caused. Nonetheless, a recall has been issued and users are urged to stop using the phones containing the recalled battery and not to charge them up. FedEx are to be sending out a set of replacement batteries free-of-charge. The package should also include a pre-paid mail box for the customer to return the potentially defective battery back to the company.
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