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Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

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Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#21

This problem (+ the fact that it still hasn't been fixed) and the pricing of recent big-brand models makes me consider buying from Chinese manufacturers suchs a Xiaomi, OnePlus etc

Oneplus 3 is a gem. Probably the best android right now.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#22
> Just now got this. I can try and slow him down if we think it will matter, or we just let him do what he keeps threatening to do and see if he does it

That guy just made $10 million on that text.

/r/Android also shows another 3 more recent cases of Note 7's blowing up, 2 from Korea and one from Taiwan.

If it seems like Samsung's executive leadership is asleep at the wheel on this one, it's because that's almost literally the case: Chairman Lee had a heart attack in 2014 and hasn't been seen in public since. While he's apparently alive he also hasn't handed over power despite being unable to communicate vocally for several years.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#23
post #12

I think there is a small chance of any modern phone catching fire. I saw a news article about the same thing happening to a new iPhone 7. The first batches of note 7 were defective so they had a higher chance of combustion. I'm pretty sure that's not the case with replacement phones. This is just some sensationalist "journalism".

The batteries in modern smartphones are very easy to get wrong. So, it's not specifically the phone itself which combusts, but the battery.

Lithium batteries are very sensitive to the charging process. It could be that Samsung tried to optimize that and it worked in a lab. But when they produce millions of phones some devices just by chance will be outside the very tight safety margins.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#24

I wonder if this is the reason: "I inspected the kernel source code. Samsung charges the note 7 battery at just over 4.35v Older models have 4.35v batteries but only charge to 4.3v. If you put a generic 4.2v lithium ion battery in, they survive 4.3v with a reduction in charge cycles but anything above that causes formation of metallic lithium dendrites, a non reversible process that eventually causes a fire. This pol…

That sound weird, a 0.05V fluctuation should be well within tolerance. Otherwise there'd be plenty of phones blowing up out of nowhere due to glitches or random overshoots from the charging circuitry.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#25

I wonder if this is the reason: "I inspected the kernel source code. Samsung charges the note 7 battery at just over 4.35v Older models have 4.35v batteries but only charge to 4.3v. If you put a generic 4.2v lithium ion battery in, they survive 4.3v with a reduction in charge cycles but anything above that causes formation of metallic lithium dendrites, a non reversible process that eventually causes a fire. This pol…

That sound weird, a 0.05V fluctuation should be well within tolerance. Otherwise there'd be plenty of phones blowing up out of nowhere due to glitches or random overshoots from the charging circuitry.

Charge circuitry can easily maintain a ±0.05V voltage tolerance if needed. For example, googling for datasheets found this charge controller IC with 1% tolerance: http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/datasheet/4050f.pdf

I'm no expert on battery chargers, but I can certainly imagine a design using that kind of tolerance if it made the batteries work better; holding that kind of tolerance is fairly cheap these days. Re: glitches, I'd imagine that a battery isn't going to care about extremely short duration events; preventing longer-duration overshoots isn't all that hard.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#26

This problem (+ the fact that it still hasn't been fixed) and the pricing of recent big-brand models makes me consider buying from Chinese manufacturers suchs a Xiaomi, OnePlus etc

Oneplus 3 is a gem. Probably the best android right now.

Have a look at LG G5 too. Similarly priced -in Europe at least- with good quality and innovation (normal + wide angle camera, always on screen). Also it has features missing from the plus (sd card, aptx, removable battery).

I was on the market for a new device couple weeks ago and after an extensive search I went with the lg.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#27
post #17
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chinese manufacturers aren't exactly well known for good lithium battery safety. IIRC the entire reason amazon banned hoverboards was because they couldn't tell which Chinese manufacturers used safe batteries.

There's a difference between whatever-random-flybynight-hoverboard company and, say, Huawei or OnePlus. ... I hope. Cause I just bought a OnePlus 3 after being really disappointed by the Pixel phone. Like who made google think they could charge iphone money for a nexus -- $750 plus tax so over $800 to get something with 64G of space? The OnePlus has been out since June and while there are sporadic reports of fires (j…

I have a Huawei p8 max and it is great. I have a cheap whitelabel Chinese Android as well and that is nice too: never overheats and has good battery life (and was $40). You need to reflash Android but other than that...

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#28
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A small chance does not show up with 3 phones catching fire within a week. How many of these phones would have even made it into customer's hands during that time. I doubt it is eve fair to say there is a "chance" they will catch fire, but let us say there is. What is the "chance" that they will all catch fire within the first few days of use? This is all quite damning, and unfortunately is probably going to put a de…

>This is all quite damning, and unfortunately is probably going to put a dent in Android adoption Not likely. There are tons of other Android phones that people can use (including the new pixel). Everyone I've talked to (including non technical people) about this have associated this with Samsung, not Android.

You have to imagine it will have some affect. I purchase the phones for my company and the (all non-technical) people who come me to generally ask, "Should I get an Apple or a Samsung?".

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#29
I am from South Korea. There were numerous reports from people on Facebook or other social media that Note 7 replacements were also having battery problems, but Samsung have been trying hard to control Korean newspapers to report them as false reports from "black consumers". It's ridiculous to see how they can manipulate media as they want. I'm glad that Samsung does not have such power outside South Korea.

Re: Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire

#30

This problem (+ the fact that it still hasn't been fixed) and the pricing of recent big-brand models makes me consider buying from Chinese manufacturers suchs a Xiaomi, OnePlus etc

the Pixel look really sweet if you can justify it :

-awesome camera. I already have remarked with the 6P that having a reliable camera that is always in your pocket is really a big plus and something I do not want to give up.

- performances & industrial design : Google spent a lot of efforts on the Pixels & 7.1 and it shows. Each micro stutter on a device annoys me since I spend a lot of time polishing how my apps run (I am an android engineer focusing on UI and perfs).

I am probably biased but the Pixels look like good purchases to me.

Other than that, I would have avoided Samsung anyway, even before the fires. The real life perfs of their devices has always been atrocious and they have a tendency to ruin the OS with tons of random unneeded features.

The Moto G is usually the device recommended for the best bang for your bucks. Ironically, it is now a chinese device as well. You won't have to deal with any crazyness like the onePlus invites though.

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