This is Samsung's new 8-point battery safety check

By Daniel Bader
last updated

Now that Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 fire investigation has concluded, the company is looking to the future, which means convincing customers that its upcoming phones are safe for everyday use.

To reassure the public, and to ensure that no future incidents crop up, Samsung has changed its phone-testing facilities around the world to include an eight-point battery safety check. While many of these checks are currently in use at existing plants, including visual and durability inspections and a process for ensuring that voltage leaks are not prevalent, the company is implementing four brand new tests, including the very uncommon and expensive task of X-raying all of its phones prior to shipping them to consumers.

Samsung believes that any and all of these four new tests, which will run across its entire phone lineup and not just its flagships, would have caught the manufacturing defects present in both sets of Galaxy Note 7 batteries. The company also plans to run what's known as an "accelerated aging" test on its phones, which will simulate two weeks of real-world usage in just five days.

The fact that Samsung experienced such a broad series of battery misfortunes in a short period is both disconcerting and frustrating, but based on a survey Android Central performed in October, many customers feel comfortable putting the debacle behind them, and look forward to future Samsung devices.

Daniel Bader
Daniel Bader

Daniel Bader was a former Android Central Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor for iMore and Windows Central. 

35 Comments
  • I think some folks here will feel a little annoyed that their phones will arrive with slightly more cycles on their battery than before, but if it results in better safety, then I won't mind. I hope that others will adopt at least one of the extra methods. Better safety is something that we should all think about.
  • they wont try every phones battery.. they get a samples from a number of devices and do the tests. the samples are random .
  • I'm guessing they'll test some from a specific batch.
  • I have a better solution; just go back to user-replaceable batteries FFS!
  • Why? You can fit a bigger battery in a smaller space by having it built in, you don't have to buy a new replaceable battery for your new phone (you can keep using the same portable charger), and then consumers would buy cheap batteries from eBay and complain when said battery sucks. Plus, removable batteries fail too. I believe the Galaxy Grand had an incident at the same time of the Note7 debacle.
  • ***crickets***
  • ***grasshoppers***
  • The S6 was also 2mm thinner than the 5, as well as its contemporaries.
  • The LG V20 has larger dimensions than the Note7 but the battery capacity is smaller. It's simple physics: if you have to fit in the mechanism to make the battery removable, there's less space for the actual battery.
  • Well, we can't just assume through thickness and chassis size. You also need to know how the internal components are arranged. The reason why sealed batteries can seemingly store more in a similarly sized pack is because they don't have a shielding that is as thick as that on a removable unit since it is unlikely to be removed except for servicing. And I'm still rather rather skeptical on the IP67 rating on the S5. If you close the USB flap and make sure the back cover is tight, then it might be able to survive. My issue is whether that cover can consistently keep a good seal, especially if you remove it regularly to swap batteries. I've also seen a few S5s that have the USB flap missing entirely.
  • Yeah, but I'm talking about the S5. The S7 had a sealed USB port that didn't need a flap.
  • So carry a spare and swap them over. I'd really prefer that option myself. With fast charging it hardly matters.
  • I don't see a scenario where the entire phone wouldn't have been recalled, whether the batteries were removable or not.
  • But you CAN buy original quality batteries. If they fail or fade you CAN replace them. Sealed phones are a menace - the Note 7 proved that.
  • If sealed phones are a menace, then why haven't other sealed phones (even those from Samsung) had the same problems? Quit with the over-exaggeration.
  • You're ignoring my main concern. I still use my Note 3. I have replaced the battery several times. I also have an external battery charger and 4 batteries. (two relatively new; the original and its backup). I can change or replace a depleted battery in 30 seconds; OR remove it if I consider it suspect. I can safely charge my batteries away from the phone and always carry a spare. It is a safer and far more rational approach. With a sealed phone; replacing the battery is a major job. Most people couldn't even try to do it. So, after 2 years the phone is a gradually decaying problem. Do you send it away to have the battery replaced? Most simply replace the phone. what a waste of technology. EVEN appart from the issue of batteries that run hot and swell up - let alone burn the phone to a crisp. My way is far better from every perspective - ESPECIALLY safety.
  • I'd like to see the evidence that having replaceable batteries would've prevented these problems.
  • It wouldn't have. The argument is that the recall would have been easier and people would still have devices.
  • If Samsung didn't know the exact cause of the problem, how would have replaceable batteries made the recall easier? They didn't know 100% that it was the batteries so they didn't know to only recall the battery so they still would've needed to recall the phone.
  • They thought it was the battery and issued a recall and exchanged the phones for ones with new batteries and still had the same problem. At that point they would've had no choice but to recall the phone regardless of what was always believed.
  • Yep...People handling hot defective batteries in a potentially defective device. Sounds like a great idea to me! 🤡
  • If they don't, I won't purchase another Samsung phone. I refuse to be spied on 24/7. The only way to really turn it off is to remove the battery and they know it. You all should pay attention...
  • Bloody right; ant to hell with phones made of glass, thin enough to cut vegetables.
  • I just miss my Note 7. All I have left is the s pen to remember it...
  • Same here. Plus two fast chargers and USB C cables and a Gear VR that I "forgot" to return. Oops!
  • I think Samsung has been great in handling the situation. I miss the Note 7, it was a great device. I was coming from windows 10 mobile to android with the Note 7 and ended up with iphone 7 plus after I returned my note 7.
  • I got the N5. Issues. Unhappy. Got the 7plus too. Flawless so far
  • Ok so can they please just release the phones now.. I want my note 7 back.
  • I don't think they even could now. A sad mess.
  • Did they indicate that this will be a check of 100% of production, or a statistical sample? Testing every single battery this way will cost a ton of money, so I have my doubts they're going to do that.
  • Lol OK Samsung
  • Every article about the n7 has to have a poster who suggests that replaceable batteries would have made the whole n7 issue magically better.
    I despise easily replaceable batteries. Much like nearly everyone else does.
  • Where is the popcorn icon?
  • Nice to see them take these measures to ensure battery quality, but they better not use it as a lousy excuse for more non-removable batteries! Keep them user replaceable.
  • No replaceable battery's for any of the 2017 models!