10,000 Galaxy Note 4 batteries are being recalled due to overheating risk

Last year, Samsung had a major blunder with the Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled and eventually scrapped over issues with the battery catching fire. It seems this experience has spurred companies into being a bit more cautious going forward as today, it was announced that a network offering ‘refurbished’ Galaxy Note 4s would be recalling 10,000 batteries.

Several years after its initial release, there is a scare around 10,000 Galaxy Note 4 batteries that could run the risk of being defective. As a result a recall is being issues. This only seems to affect a small number of devices in the US, which were ‘refurbished’ via AT&T’s insurance program and then handled by the FedEx Supply Chain. Some of these refurbished phones ended up with ‘counterfeit’ batteries, which are not suitable for use.

This isn’t really a Samsung issue, as the company isn’t the one refurbishing the affected phones. Instead, this is a case of AT&T and FedEx choosing a bad provider of batteries for its refurbishment program. However, since the Galaxy Note 4 comes with an easily replaceable battery, the switch should be easy and painless.

FedEx is currently sending out replacement batteries as well as shipping materials for customers to send their old batteries back. In a statement given to The Verge, a Samsung spokesperson rightly put the blame on FedEx for this issue:

“FedEx Supply Chain is conducting this recall of non-genuine Samsung batteries as some of them are counterfeit. The refurbishment program was managed by FedEx Supply Chain and operated independently of Samsung. Any affected owners should contact FedEx Supply Chain”.

KitGuru Says: At least this time around, the Galaxy Note blunder had absolutely nothing to do with Samsung itself. Hopefully the upcoming Galaxy note 8 launch will go as smoothly as the Galaxy S8 launch did.

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