It seems that there is some more trouble with Samsung's Galaxy Note line of phones. Today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall on batteries used in the Galaxy Note 4. The power supplies are being recalled due to the potential to "overheat, posing burn and fire hazards." The CPSC urges anyone with an affected device to immediately stop using it and power it down.
If this sounds familiar, it's because it was only last September that Samsung issued a recall of all Galaxy Note 7s due to a similar problem. Over a million phones were recalled with more than 90 confirmed incidents of batteries either overheating, exploding, or catching fire. This time the issue is much different from the Note 7 fiasco though.
The voluntary recall was initiated by FedEx Supply Chain and only pertains to 10,000 affected devices. Apparently, FedEx was handling phones for AT&T's insurance program. At some point, the shipping company got a batch of "counterfeit batteries," which they put into the refurbished devices and shipped as replacements to those filing claims through AT&T. The phones involved are refurbished Galaxy Note 4s distributed between December 2016 and April 2017.
So far there has only been one incident of a Galaxy Note 4 overheating with no injuries or property damage reported. Despite the problem being isolated to a relatively small number of phones, FedEx is taking the matter seriously. The shipping giant issued a statement via The Verge shortly after instituting the recall.
Counterfeit Samsung battery used in some refurbished Note 4s. (Image by US Consumer Product Safety Commission)
"FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit," the statement reads. "The refurbishment program was managed by FedEx Supply Chain and operated independently of Samsung. Any affected owners should contact FedEx Supply Chain at 1-800-338-0163."
The company has also set up a website called "Exchange My Battery" that has all the information on the recall that one may require, including instructions on how to replace the batteries. Anyone contacting FedEx for a replacement battery will be sent a new genuine Samsung battery marked with a green dot to avoid mixing them up during replacement. The shipment will also include a postage paid box to return the faulty battery for disposal.
Samsung dodged a bullet on this one since it was not involved in the affair, which is a good thing. Another wide-scale problem with its signature device line is the last thing the Korean manufacturer needs with the Galaxy Note 8 launch event right around the corner on August 23.