Tech giant Samsung Electronics has released its own report on why its Galaxy Note 7 premium phablet device caught fire shortly after release last year, leading to a total recall and cancellation of the product line.
In a press conference in Seoul last night, the company said there were two separate issues with the battery in the device. The first affected the batteries in the first recall and the second in the replacement phones that were given out before the cancellation.
Samsung explained a short circuit within a battery may occur when there is damage to the separator that allows the positive and negative electrodes to meet within the jellyroll.
In the case of the first battery, slimming it down meant the negative electrode was deflected in the upper-right corner and that the tip of the negative electrode was incorrectly located in the curve, allowing them to come into contact with positive electrodes.
In the second battery, high welding burred on the positive electrode, resulting in the penetration of the insulation tape and separator which then caused direct contact between the positive and negative electrodes. Samsung also said a number of the batteries in the second wave of phones were missing insulation tape.
An infographic depicting the exact battery faults can be found here.
Based on what Samsung learned from its investigation, it announced it has formed an external group of battery experts and advisors, and will implement a range of quality and safety processes, including an eight-point battery safety check. This check will be used on all Samsung products, not only smartphones.
Could have told you that
Samsung's disclosure that the batteries were the cause of the Note 7 fires is not a revelation.
In December last year, tech firm Instrumental issued a report which said aggressive design caused the Note 7 battery explosions. The firm found the design of the smartphone compressed the battery, even during normal operation.
The firm explained: "When batteries are charged and discharged, chemical processes cause the lithium to migrate and the battery will mechanically swell. Any battery engineer will tell you that it's necessary to leave some percentage of ceiling above the battery (roughly 10% as the battery will expand over time)."
The two-month-old Samsung Note 7 that Instrumental tested had a 5.2mm thick battery resting in a 5.2mm deep pocket.
The limited space combined with Samsung's findings suggest the smartphones were ticking time bombs, and it would only have been a matter of time before each device caught alight.
S8 will have to wait
The electronics manufacturer also announced it will not unveil its Galaxy S8 smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show this year, suggesting the flagship model's launch may be later in the year than its 2016 version.
Reuters reported Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said the phone would not get a launch event at the MWC event in Barcelona, which begins on 27 February, unlike the previous Galaxy S smartphones.
Koh did not comment on when the company planned to launch the handset. The firm showed off the Galaxy S7 on the side-lines of MWC last year, and started selling the phones in March.
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