Remember that problem Samsung had with lithium-ion batteries exploding in its Galaxy Note7 devices? Sure you do: They were all (eventually) recalled due to their propensity to burst into flame. In an effort to prevent such a debacle from happening again, Samsung is reportedly throwing a third battery supplier into the mix.
The Wall Street Journal cites the very mysterious, ever present people familiar with the matter, who say Samsung will use lithium-ion battery packs from a unit owned by Sony for the upcoming smartphones. That’s in addition to its current suppliers, a Samsung affiliate called Samsung SDI (whose factory recently caught fire itself), and Amperex Technology Ltd.
Spokespeople at the above companies declined to comment, but sources tell the WSJ that Samsung is planning to release the new phone at an event in New York at the end of March.
It’s no secret that Samsung is trying to earn back the trust of consumers in the wake of the Note7 catastrophe, which involved about three million recalled devices.
In January, Samsung said an internal investigation found two different battery flaws were to blame for the Note7 fires. Samsung SDI and Amperex both supplied batteries for the devices.
Of course, analysts point out to the WSJ that using Sony batteries doesn’t mean the phones won’t explode, as there are a lot of design factors that can cause a phone to overheat.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist