By Bizna Brand Analyst

Samsung Electronics East Africa recently stopped pre-orders of the Galaxy Note 7 in Kenya following a recall of the device that was issued globally. This development came after users around the world reported that their devices exploded while charging. Apparently, this was all because of the faulty batteries that had been installed on the smart phones. But as many people were reeling in shock at the mini-bombs popping off around the globe, I wasn’t surprised at all.

In all honesty, has Samsung ever had good batteries? Not really. Most Samsung batteries drain too first and become unusable within a matter of months. A common characteristic of worn out Samsung batteries is bulging (curving). If you want to know if your Samsung battery is no longer functioning correctly, jut place it on a flat table and spin it. If it moves easily, you have your answer.

It starts of as something small but suddenly, your battery can’t fit in your phone anymore or can barely fit. The question is: why is it swollen in the first place? By the way, it’s unfortunate, but when your battery gets swollen, it cannot be fixed – you have to go to a Samsung shop and get a new one. And they don’t come cheap. The cheapest Samsung battery at the moment costs roughly 1000 shillings.

Technologically speaking, the following are three main reasons that may cause your smartphone or cellphone battery to swell:

1. Frequent overcharging.

This is the reason you will probably be given when you make your way back to a Samsung dealer to buy a new battery. You will be told that this usually isn’t an issue when you use the charger that came with your phone. However, there are times when that charger can malfunction and cause your battery to be overcharged. Modern chargers also become ineffective soon after purchase so you really have no option but to buy a new one. In addition to that, we often find ourselves in situations where we might need to borrow a charger that isn’t exactly suited to our phones.

But the rues still remain.  Your phone should not be left on the charger for very long after the battery has been fully charged. This can definitely add to the extent of the problem. You should also know that Lithium Ion batteries don’t react well to overcharging at all, so be very careful with those. Okay? The question still remains. Why only Samsung? I have overcharged several other batteries in my life but none has ever become swollen.

2. Heat

Extremely high temperatures in the battery as a result of charging or rapid discharging from using the device, could have an effect on the chemistry of the battery. This negative chemical effect could cause your battery to get swollen.

3. Faulty manufacturing

This is a case of the manufacturer’s issue. It’s not your fault; it’s a problem which occurred within the manufacturing process, that’s why your poorly-made battery has swollen. Now can we all sit and pretend that this reason (number 3) isn’t why Samsung batteries keep disappointing?

Given the recent proceeding we can safely conclude that Samsung batteries aren’t properly made. The phones are excellent but the batteries need to be re-examined, perhaps by a congregation of physicists. Do something Samsung.