Sony Aplogizes for Battery Problems
Sony has publicly apologized for the woes consumers and laptop manufacturers have experienced because of faulty Lithium-Ion batteries sourced from the company. Worries over battery packs over-heating and catching fire have led several laptop manufacturers including Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Fujitsu to conduct major recall and replacement programs for affected laptop batteries.
AP reports that Sony seems to have been reluctant to admit its faults. This is apparent with how the company executives acted during the press conference, in which they bowed lightly while seated. In contrast, it is a practice by executives of Japanese companies to bow deeply while standing up when they make public apologies.
In particular, Sony claims that the battery problem is not actually a safety issue, but it has grown to be a social one. The company stands by its earlier statement that the battery packs only overheat in rare cases, and when handled a certain way, and that they have launched the voluntary recall program to show their willingness to ensure the safety of laptop consumers.
Still, for avid laptop users like ourselves, any possibility of danger being caused by potentially flammable parts deserves attention by the manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Sony expects this issue to hurt the company’s bottomline, affecting the Japanese economy in general, too. Sony has offered other concessions, too, such as slashing prices of its upcoming PlayStation3 console in the Japanese market. Analysts predict, however, that Sony will be able to weather this storm and still come out to be a strong player in the portable power industry, especially because there are only a few competitors in that field.
Even More Sony Laptop Battery Recalls
Poor Sony, it has not been a good year for them at all. Laptop batteries exploding, millions in recalls. It seems that companies are continuing to add onto their woes as Fujitsu looks to recall another 51,000 batteries on top of the 287,000 batteries they recalled last weel. Also, Sharp has let it be known that they are recalling 28,000 Sony made laptop batteries.
I am surprised that this whole battery thing has been going on for so long. I think the press really milked the whole issue, though I do think that a certain amount of coverage is great so that the users have a chance to take the companies up on the recalls, but I wonder if this whole thing could have been handled a bit better. Especially from a company as large as Sony.
Lenovo and Fujitsu Join Battery Recall Program
Lenovo, maker of ThinkPad branded laptops, and Fujitsu have joined the battery recall that has been making the rounds of tech news of late. The same problem has been cited–possible defects in the manufacturing of Lithium Ion cells made by Sony. While Fujitsu has not cited any problems affecting its laptops, it has decided to participate in Sony’s voluntary recall program.
Lenovo
Lenovo’s Battery Recall Program site cites the following models purchased between February 2005 and September 2006 as affected by the recall:
- ThinkPad R51e, R52, R60, R60e
- ThinkPad T43, T43p, T60, T60p
- ThinkPad X60, X60s
Also, users who purchased additional battery packs during the same period for the following laptops may be affected.
- ThinkPad R50, R50e, R50p, R51
- ThinkPad T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p
If you own a Lenovo or ThinkPad laptop, you should check your battery serial number, and if the starting characters matches any of these, you should confirm with your dealer or with Lenovo if you are eligible for a replacement:
ASM P/N | FRU P/N
92P1072 | 92P1073
92P1088 | 92P1089
92P1142 | 92P1141
92P1170 | 92P1169, 93P5028
92P1174 | 92P1173, 93P5030
Lenovo even provides a downloadable application that will automatically check your battery (direct link here). Alternatively, you can remove the battery itself and check the serial number against the ones listed above. You can then input your serial number into the form provided on the Lenovo battery recall page for instructions on how you can get a replacement.
If you are affected, Lenovo suggests using your laptop solely on AC/DC power until the time you receive your replacement.
Fujitsu
Meanwhile, Fujitsu advises users of the following laptop models to await further news of how to have their battery packs replaced.
Laptops sold in Japan
- FMV-BIBLO LOOX P70R, P70S
- FMV-BIBLO LOOX T50M, T50R, T50RN, T50S, T50SN
- FMV-BIBLO LOOX T70M, T70M/T, T70MN, T70R, T70R/T, T70RN, T70S, T70S/V, T70SN
- FMV-P8210
Laptops sold outside Japan
- LIFEBOOK P1510, P1510D, P7120, P7120D
- LIFEBOOK S7020, S7020D, S7025, S7025D
- LIFEBOOK C1320, C1320D
Living with my ThinkPad T43
I have had my laptop for a while now, and it has been mostly a positive experience. I had many reasons behind my choice to get a Lenovo/IBM machine, but now I am wondering if I should have just waited to see what Apple did (they released an Intel series of machines that can run both OS X and Windows).
Some things I am noticing about my ThinkPad T43 are worth mentioning though, so if you are considering purchasing one, you will know all of the pitfalls I have noticed.
The first thing I have noticed is that its battery life still seems too short, while that is very subjective, since it gets around three and half hours per battery, getting me seven hours for the two batteries I received. I still hope to see a real all day laptop sometime soon, but it seems like every time there is an increase in battery technology, they increase the size of the screen on the machine or something.
Another thing I notice is that the fan noise gets a bit high sometimes when the computer needs to cool down. The fan, hard drive, and optical drive make a fair bit of noise. The cooling fan leads me to the next point of contention with my laptop, it gets hot. I don’t mean like battery exploding hot. Thankfully neither of my batteries are part of the exploding battery recall. But it still gets to the point where I don’t want to put my laptop on my lap.
Also, when playing wide screen movies, you can really notice a while bar near the bottom of the screen, you don’t notice these brightness inconsistencies when doing other tasks, but it can be a bit distracting sometimes.
Lastly, the speakers are a disappointment. I sometimes wonder why laptop makers even put speakers on the machines when they are really so useless in all but the quietest of areas. Sometimes the optical drive is louder than the highest volume setting. This can be very frustrating.
Despite all the negatives of owning my ThinkPad T43, I still recommend it. It is fast, easy to use, and for the most part, very reliable. I can’t say I would not trade it in for the world, but I can say that most laptops don’t even come close.
The Positive Thing About Battery Recalls
Dell, Apple and even Panasonic have issued laptop battery recalls recently. Many have taken this opportunity to question the quality of these brands’ products, and even the integrity of the brands themselves. I’ve seen my share of Dell-bashing because of the exploding/burning laptop issue. I can say that in business, things like this could cause harm not only to a company’s image, but to the bottom line (read: profits)–and this can be to the tune of millions of dollars in losses.
However, some people do think that recalls are actually a good indication that a company cares.
While others see the “recall” as a “negative” impact on the Dell brand, we actually view it as a positive development. The incident further reinforces the distinct advantage of Branded Laptops, in the sense that the big companies are willing to sacrifice monetary considerations for the general welfare of the consumers.
To date we have not heard of Taiwan based manufacturers who have issued product recalls despite the industry known fact that majority of computer components are outsourced, meaning they usually come from the same factories as those from the bigger “branded” companies. We quote the statement of another laptop user - “…so essentially you are not buying dell laptops but rather you are buying dell support or dell warranty for generic laptops..”
True, recalls mean that a company is willing to lay itself on the line to ensure customers are safe and satisfied. Recalls mean that a company is willing to admit some problems and mistakes and is willing to take on the cost just to fix these.
And for laptops, this recent trend in recalls means that you should buy from the reputable manufacturers!
Panasonic Recalls Laptop Batteries
It looks like everyone is worried about batteries, and to make sure Panasonic does not have to deal with any explosive lawsuits, they have initiated a recall of 6,000 laptop batteries over fears that they may overheat. The Matsushita owned company is recalling the affected batteries in Japan.
Akira Kadota, the Matsushita spokesperson, told the agency that the batteries in question are used in the Let’s Note CF-W4G model. It is important to not that unlike the recent Dell and Apple recalls, the batteries are not manufactured by Sony.
Mr. Kadota declined to name the manufacturer because of an agreement not to disclose the information. Problems with the CF-W4G manufactured in April and May of 2005 were reported earlier in the year.
According to Kadota, the battery cover can come loose which could cause the cells to heat up and change shape if the cover is damaged.
The recall is significantly smaller than those involving faulty battery units supplied by Sony last month.
A Thought on Fiery Laptops
Lithium Ion batteries, which power most of our laptops, mobile phones, PDAs and other handheld gadgets, may not be as safe as we thought. Well, for some types at least, there will always be the risk of overheating and possible incineration if the Li-Ion cells used are unstable or too dense. People are asking, have we reached a limit in battery capacity and efficiency? Maybe Li-Ion is going the way of the dodo, just like how Cadmium-based cells have been superseded by Nickel Metal Hydride (which is at present one of the more stable types of rechargable cells).
Pretty soon, laptop, mobile phone and ther gadget manufacturers would be looking into new technologies for powering up our devices. This might include rechargable technologies similar to Li-Ion or even disposable fuel-cell sources of energy. But for now, Li-Ion is the king, and it’s not about to change in the very near future.
DESPITE THE INHERENT RISKS, lithium ion batteries aren’t going away any time soon because there are no good alternatives. But the dangers are having consequences, beyond the financial damage to the companies involved in the recalls. One is that we have hit the wall in increasing the efficiency of batteries — at least as measured in watts per kilogram or watts per liter — because without some major chemical breakthrough, higher power densities would cause unacceptable hazards. Making batteries larger is also not an option. The International Air Transport Assn. will not allow batteries containing more than 8 grams of lithium aboard passenger aircraft. The largest laptop batteries used today have hit that limit.
For now, we can keep ourselves safe by taking good care of our batteries. Remember that heat is your number one enemy. So better start thinking of cooling accessories for your laptop (and your lap!). Personally, I never use my laptop without external ventilation or air conditioning.
[W]e are stuck with lithium ion batteries for the foreseeable future, but there are a few things you can do to make them safer. One is to treat the batteries gently and protect them from overheating. Fires are much more likely while the battery is charging. If you run a laptop on in-seat power on an airplane or train, do everyone a favor and remove the battery during your journey.
Laptops on a Plane
I’ve probably read about Snakes on a Plane so much that the title is getting to me. Anyway, in relation to our earlier posts about battery recalls by Dell and Apple, some airlines have gone to the extent of banning Dell and select Apple notebooks from being brought onboard as hand-carry luggage.
The Australian-based Qantas Airlines already placed a restriction on using Dells on their planes (the machines either have to run solely on battery power, or plugged in, sans-battery), and now they’re considering clamping down on Macs as well. Qantas is currently investigating the actual threat that Apple’s recalled batteries might or might not pose. We haven’t heard any reports of Apple’s batteries exploding like Dell’s, but we can understand an airline’s need to err on the side of caution.
Qantas is taking a walk on the safe side. Yes, it’s inconveniencing passengers who might want to do some work while on the plane. But hey, I don’t think there’s anything more inconveniencing than having your plane crash because of an exploding gadget!
At any rate, I recall reading somewhere that Qantas has the safest air record among all of the world’s airlines.
Lithium Ion in the Spotlight
Sure, Lithium-based batteries are probably the next best thing to laptop users since colored LCDs, They’re lightweight, packs more charge per unit of weight, and had none of the memory problems associated with the older Nickel-based batteries, not to mention they’re more environmentally-friendly than Ni-Cad and Ni-MH.
However, the recent spate of overheating battery cells, resulting to exploding laptops has led manufacturers and industry analysts to look into the viability of Lithium Ion as a source of portable power in the long run. Apple and Dell have recently recalled millions of batteries suspected of having high risks of overheating and explosion.
BusinessWeek reports that Lithium Ion is on the spotlight because of these volatility issues.
Their foundation is the lithium ion. Lightweight, highly reactive and tiny, the metal can generate high voltage while taking up little space, making it ideal for use in energy-sucking portable electronics. Its chemical makeup also makes it easy to recharge.
But the batteries are also delicate. Manufacturing contamination caused the overheating that prompted the recall of nearly 6 million Sony Corp.-made batteries in the past two weeks from Apple Computer Inc. and Dell Inc. laptops.
While news of overheating equipment would probably not make laptop users shun Lithium Ion batteries altogether, this signals that with anything that concerns power, electricity and chemistry, there will always be risks. In this case, it pays to take heed of safety precautions when handling equipment. Of course, on the manufacturers’ part, they should be more responsible, especially when millions of users might be in danger.
As for me, I still feel safe using my laptop on my lap.
Apple to Recall 1.1 Million iBook and Powerbook Batteries
Update: Apple is recalling 1.1 Million batteries in the US alone. There are 700,000 units to be recalled from outside the US.
Apple is recalling more than a million laptop batteries in the US, particularly those found in G4-class iBooks and Powerbooks. This is apparently related to the Dell battery recall, inasmuch as the lithium-ion cells in question were both manufactured by Sony.
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Apple Computer Inc. will recall 1.1 million laptop batteries in the United States that are at risk of overheating, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. The CPSC said an additional 700,000 batteries were sold outside the U.S. The recalled lithium-ion batteries, with cells manufactured by Sony Corp., were used in iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 laptops. According to the the CPSC, Apple has received nine reports of batteries overheating, including two reports of minor burns from handling overheated computers and other reports of minor property damage.
AS of this writing, Apple still has not identified the battery models and serial numbers to be replaced, but do watch the Apple Battery recall page for more information.
What’s great with Apple’s battery recall is that they send you a new battery pack even before they ask you to send your defective one in for replacement. You just have to inform them of your laptop’s and/or battery’s serial number.
After serial number verification, a new battery will be shipped to you, free of charge. When you receive the replacement battery, please use the same shipping packaging and included prepaid shipping label to return the recalled battery to Apple.
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