Jan 20, 2017 - Technology

Batteries to blame for Samsung smartphone fires

Ahn Young-joon / AP

The fires that forced Samsung to recall all 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones were caused by irregularly-sized batteries that overheated, while others had manufacturing problems, according to The WSJ.

A report of the fiasco—which will end up costing the company at least $5 billion—will be released on Monday. Here's what you can expect to find:

  • Batteries in the Samsung SDI model were irregularly sized and didn't fit properly in the phone.
  • Some batteries made in China, experienced manufacturing issues as a result of the quick ramp up in production of replacement phones.
  • Samsung will introduce an eight-step process that includes more testing, inspections and manufacturing-quality assurances.
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