WASHINGTON-The mobile-phone industry and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers are expected shortly to announce plans to address exploding mobile phones, possibly with an eye to crafting industry standards for batteries, which are suspected as the cause of the problem.
The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association and IEEE plan to issue a joint press release within the next day or so on the project.
Last month, an exploding phone sent a California teenager to the hospital emergency room. The teen reportedly was using a Verizon Wireless LG phone.
In a Sept. 7 letter to the teen’s parents, Korea-based LG Electronics Co. Ltd. said its investigation concluded the battery at issue was a counterfeit and therefore it was not responsible for the accident.
“Counterfeits may not be manufactured with the appropriate protection circuit and when used with an after-market charger, may cause an explosion,” stated Jennifer Farace of LG’s legal department. “At this time, were are aggressively investigating the source of this battery and taking additional legal action.”
In January, the U.S. Consumer Protect Safety Commission announced the recall of batteries in phones manufactured for Kyocera Wireless Corp. The recall was prompted by four reports received by Kyocera of battery failures, including one minor burn injury. The CPSC said the recalled batteries can short-circuit and erupt with force or emit excessive hearing, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
