Editorial · October 19, 2016
Phone Battery Safety: Lessons From the Note 7 Recall
Phone battery safety starts with one plain fact: the battery in your phone stores a lot of energy in a very small space. Most of the time it is fine. When a battery is faulty, or is damaged, it can overheat and catch fire. The Galaxy Note 7 recall in September and October 2016 shows what that looks like, and what an owner should do about it.
This is general information, not medical advice or a technical inspection of your phone.
What happened with the Galaxy Note 7
Samsung stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7 on September 2, 2016, and announced a replacement plan, after reports of batteries overheating. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Samsung then issued a joint recall notice on September 15, 2016. That notice covered about one million phones sold in the United States.
The notice said the lithium-ion battery in these phones can overheat and catch fire. It listed 92 reports of overheating in the United States, including 26 burn injuries and 55 reports of property damage. The damage included fires in a car and in a garage.
On October 10, 2016, Samsung asked sellers worldwide to stop sales and exchanges, and told owners to power off the phone. On October 11, 2016, it ended production of the Note 7. For owners, the message is the same as in the first notice: power the phone off and do not keep using it.
What a recall means for you
A recall is a formal request from a maker, usually with a safety agency, to stop using a product and get a fix. The fix can be a repair, a replacement or a refund. It is not a rumor, and it is not optional advice. The word "recall" means the maker has found a risk that is real enough to act on.
A recall notice names the exact models and the exact markings that are affected. That matters because not every phone with the same name is in the recall. Some units are safe, and some are not. The only way to know is to check.
If your phone is on a recall list, stop using it. Power it off. Then follow the steps in the notice. Keeping a recalled phone "just for a few more days" is the choice that hurts people.
How to check your phone against a recall notice
Start with the notice itself. Read it from the maker or the safety agency, not from a forum post or a chat message. Look for the model name and the other details it lists.
Next, find your phone's IMEI number. This is a unique number for each phone. It is printed on the back of many phones, and on the box. You can also see it in the phone's settings. In the Note 7 recall, Samsung asked U.S. owners to enter this number on a recall web page to see if their phone was affected.
If you cannot tell, ask. Call the maker's service line, or ask the shop or carrier that sold you the phone. The CPSC notice listed a toll-free number for U.S. owners and told them to contact their carrier or the place of purchase. Readers in Vietnam should ask their own seller or the maker's local service centre for the same help.
Keep a note of who you spoke to and when. If you need a refund or a swap, that record helps.
Safer charging habits
Most phone fires are rare. You can still lower the risk with a few simple habits. None of these replace a recall. If your phone is under a recall, stop using it first.
Use the right charger. Use the charger and cable that came with the phone, or one from a maker you trust. Very cheap chargers sold without a brand can lack basic safety parts.
Charge on a hard, flat surface. Do not charge under a pillow, on a bed or on a sofa. Heat needs a place to go. A table works well.
Do not charge a damaged phone. A swollen back, a cracked case that exposes the battery, or a battery that has been bent can be unsafe. Stop charging and ask the maker or a trusted repair shop.
Keep it cool. Do not leave a phone on a car dashboard or in direct sun. Heat is hard on a battery.
Watch for warning signs. A phone that gets very hot, smells odd, hisses or smokes needs your attention right away. Unplug it if that is safe to do, and move away from anything that can burn.
If your phone gets hot or catches fire
Get yourself and others away first. A phone is not worth an injury. If it is safe, unplug it and move it away from paper, cloth and other things that burn.
Call the local fire service if flames spread or you cannot control it. Do not stay to fight a fire that is growing.
After the event, do not use the phone again. Tell the maker and the seller what happened. A report helps them find a pattern.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall notice, September 15, 2016: cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/Samsung-Recalls-Galaxy-Note7-Smartphones
- Samsung global newsroom statements on the Galaxy Note 7, September 2, October 10 and October 11, 2016: news.samsung.com/global