Samsung Galaxy Note 7 batteries were tested and certified in-house

Samsung has still not revealed why replacement units of the Galaxy Note 7 have been going up in flames, but a new report reveals that the phone’s batteries were tested and certified in-house by Samsung. U.S. service providers require that batteries sold inside the devices that they sell be tested at CTIA-certified labs. The wireless industry trade group has 28 labs across the globe which test batteries while they are being charged, under extreme heat conditions and while they are in use to ensure safety and compliance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards. 

Samsung’s in-house battery testing lab is CTIA-certified and has been in operation since 2009. Microsoft and Lenovo have run their own CTIA-certified testing labs in the past, but the one at Samsung is the only manufacturer-run lab still in operation. Relying on independent labs to test batteries may not be cost efficient for the world’s largest cellphone manufacturer, but it does ensure that the testing and certification of the batteries has little external influence.

There’s no indication that Samsung’s in-house lab turned a blind eye during testing of the Note 7’s battery, but the CTIA will likely be taking a close look at the lab and its testing procedures.

[WSJ]