The Galaxy Note 7 is one of Samsung’s flagship phones, pitched as a competitor to the newly released iPhone 7 plus, however, it has since been discontinued and recalled globally amid numerous reports of the phones melting down and catching fire while charging. This is likely to be one of the disappointments of the decade and one of the most publicised global recalls we have seen so we have to ask the question, how did this happen? Especially coming from one of the market leaders in smartphone design and manufacturing.
The Battery Doesn’t Quite Fit
The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) which had a major role in the US recall announced one of the primary reasons as being the battery size. The battery used in the Note 7 was found to be slightly too large for the space allowed for in the phone. This means that as the phone is assembled, the corners of the battery pack are slightly crimped or squashed which leads to a short circuit within the battery, causing it to overheat and in extreme cases catch fire or explode.
Samsung then replaced the battery packs after the recall using a different manufacturer, however, according to Bloomberg, even these new batteries had a manufacturing problem which lead to further fires and explosions.
Screenshot From The News, Fox 13: New At 10.
Speedy Charging
Everyone wants their smartphone battery to last longer and charge faster, so Samsung made a number of tweaks to the way in which their processors control battery charging to allow the Note 7 to charge faster. Faster charging means that the process is more volatile and leads to more heat being generated within the battery which, coupled with the battery issues, may have contributed to the batteries catching fire.
Waterproof Slim Design
Another driving factor in smartphone design is the size, all manufacturers are trying to make their phones as slim and light as possible. The downside is that there is little space left for cooling and thousands of components are stacked on top of each other and crammed into a small space. In order to make phones water and dust proof, they have to achieve a certain IP rating and for this to happen, the phone needs to have as few holes, gaps and splits as possible as each of these are a potential entry point for water and dust. Unfortunately, these holes and splits are useful for cooling so removing them leads to further heat problems.
If you managed to avoid buying a Galaxy Note 7 and still have a usable smartphone, here is how you should be charging your smartphone in order to get the most life out of the battery.
Do you have or know someone who has had their Galaxy Note 7 recalled? What was your experience with the phone? Let us know in the comments section below.