‘Samsung Note 7’ Battery Tests Under Suspicion, FAA Bans Phone Completely

Samsung has already closed the portion of its shop making the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones but it seems the controversy surrounding it just refuses to die. For one thing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally decided to ban the handheld devices, which might be too late considering they are no longer being manufactured. For another, it would seem that the testing of the phone’s batteries was actually done using Samsung’s own in-house test lab; something that only the South Korean company is able to do.

Normally, smartphone batteries are tested in one of the 18 laboratories by the CTIA to make sure that they comply with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards, The Wall Street Journal reports. This is something that every other smartphone maker has complied with, from the giant that is Apple to makers that are just getting off the ground. The exception is Samsung, which was authorized to conduct their own test of their batteries by the organization.

One of the results of the exploding “Galaxy Note 7” units is the increased attention directed at battery testing practices, which used to be a rather dull subject that no one talked about. Samsung has said in a statement that its tests before the smartphone were shipped out yielded no problems. Clearly, their tests missed something, which has shone a spotlight on a segment in smartphone manufacturing that everybody used to take for granted.

Speaking of consequences, the FAA has finally decided to ban the “Note 7” smartphone from all U.S. airline flights, Consumer Affairs reports. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx acknowledged that the move would inconvenience passengers who own the smartphone but stressed that it’s for the safety of everyone aboard.

“We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk,” Foxx said in a statement.