Samsung calls back the device released about a month ago after receiving reports of battery explosions. Customers who already bought the phone will be able to swap for a new smartphone device in about two weeks. Reports of overheating and explosion was linked to defects in the battery.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been recalled from 10 countries because of complains about the pone catching fire, exploding or overheating. The company confirmed 35 cases of reported smartphone explosions and combustions. Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries related to the event. The company also added that there is no sure way which of the smartphones may explode net. Currently, Samsung has already manufactures 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s. Estimation results says that one in every 42,000 smartphones may have a defect and may explode, WKYT reported.
The event which occured was previously said to be very rare. However, 35 instances would really make an impact in the company's reputation as it will garner a lot of media attention.
One of the cause that is being looked into is the overheating of the battery. Primarily, overheating is driven by a rapid rise in temperature which can be an external factor. It could be, however, come from within the battery of the phone itself. Since the cases reported in public happened during charging, the most likely cause of overheating is the smartphone's "battery management system", according to Forbes.
When a phone battery is being charged, it is being monitored by the "battery management system" and stops the current whenever a fully charged battery is detected. However, if there are any malfunctions, it would cause the battery to enter a state of "overcharged" and will increase it's temperature. It is also worth noting that modern phones uses a lithium-ion battery which enables it to store more power. Unfortunately, it is also the reason why the battery is very prone to combustion.
The chemical reaction which is responsible for the catastrophic explosion is called the "thermal runaway". It is a snowball effect of chemical reactions which happens rapidly and causes an explosion.
