Nokia to swap 46M batteries

Published: Aug. 14, 2007 at 3:56 PM
Order reprints
KEILANIEMI, Finland, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is offering to replace up to 46 million batteries after determining original power packs were causing overheating problems.

The problem was pinpointed after about 100 Nokia handsets were found to have overheated while recharging, The Times of London reported Tuesday. The world's largest cell phone manufacturer issued its "product advisory" for BL-5C batteries supplied by Matsushita of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006.

While "no serious injuries or property damage" have been reported to have been caused by faulty batteries, a Nokia spokeswoman said it's possible a too-hot battery could damage a surface on which a handset was left.

Analysts said the bulk of the cost of replacing batteries will most likely be covered by Matsushita. As few as 5 percent of the total suspect units may actually be turned in by customers, which would leave the cost at $20 million to $40 million, one analyst estimated.


© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Low birth weight effects linger in adults (1 min)
Airlines' on-time record inches up (3 min)
Landlord 'person of interest' in death (13 min)
Swim club investigated for racism (15 min)
Fla. high court frees death row inmate (18 min)
Ship smokestack emissions kill thousands (21 min)
MLB: Washington 11, Houston 10 (11 inn.) (27 min)
fark
Family tries to lure back lost dog by spraying their own urine all over town. They then want to...
"Oh damn." Obama caught blatantly ogling some of the nicer scenery at the G8 summit, while Sarkozy...
Photoshop this artistic smoker
Swami Baba Ramdev has challenged a landmark Indian court ruling legalising gay sex, claiming it...
AZ man blows a smooth .40 with almost sober looking mugshot
When trying to get away from the police, driving off a boat launch only works on tv and the movies....