Samsung has been grappling with defects that can cause explosions in the Galaxy Note 7 phone, but some of the replacements are reportedly exploding as well. It is believed that Samsung suspended production of the Note 7, as the defect poses a serious safety threat to the millions of people who purchased the phone.
AT&T responded by ending the Note 7 recall program pending investigation of the issue. The company said:
‘We’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents’
In addition, T-Mobile did the same, offering refunds instead. This recall is quickly turning into a disaster, and Samsung needs to sort it out before their reputation is too badly damaged.
In addition to that, Apple and many other portable electronic device manufacturers need to revise their battery testing techniques, because the sheer number of lithium-ion battery explosions is unacceptable. It seems as if there’s a disaster every year.
Lithium-ion batteries are capable of thermal runaway. To be frank, thermal runaway is a form of rapid, extreme overheating that can cause the batteries to ignite. Considering that lithium-ion batteries are being installed in increasingly thin, high-performance smartphones that generate a significant amounts of heat and are charging faster than ever, it is no surprise that this problem is escalating.
