Tech Week: Samsung Note7

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This week's tech news is an update on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Last month, Samsung issued a massive recall on its Galaxy Note 7 because of the phone overheating and catching fire. The company said there was a problem with the battery, which was made by Samsung SDI Co. They tried to rectify the problem, replaced the batteries from Samsung SDI Co. with another supplier, Hong Kong-based Amperex Technology Ltd., and started sending out replacements for the recalled Galaxy Note 7.

People were excited and everyone was happy, at least for awhile. Then news broke that a replaced Note 7 burst into fire on a plane and burned the carpet, causing the passengers to evacuate before takeoff. The Company did not issue a statement but said they sent a team to investigate the issue. 

After this and other incidents involving the replaced Smartphone, Samsung put out a statement Tuesday halting production of the Note 7. They issued a second recall, urging customers to return the phone and ask their dealers or network to replace it with a different phone or give them a refund. 

Samsung still can't identify the culprit behind this battery snafu. Their investigation is ongoing but here are some emerging theories as to what might have caused the problem.

BATTERIES

"Batteries made by Samsung SDI had been slightly too large for the compartment in the phone. Installing them had crimped the corner of the batteries, casuing them to short circuit and overheat." Bloomberg says, refering to the first recall, while The New York Times says that "plates inside the SDI battery were too close to each other near its rounded corners, making it voulnerable to a short circuit."

FAST CHARGING

According to The Financial Times, the problem comes from tweaks made to the processor to speed up charging. "If you try to charge the battery too quickly, it can make it more volatile. If you push an engine too hard, it will explode. Something had to give. These devices are miracles of technology - how much can we get out of that tiny piece of lithium-ion," an unnamed source explained after supposedly speaking with Samsung executives about the matter.