Q: Is it safe to buy one of the new Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphones?
A: Samsung鈥檚 well-documented issue with exploding batteries in its Galaxy Note 7 has many consumers rightfully concerned about newer phones having the same issue.
In what has to be one of the worst PR nightmares in tech history, Samsung had to recall the phones not once but twice as a result of a faulty design and a manufacturing defect.
Why batteries explode
Lithium-ion batteries used by all smartphone manufacturers can become unstable if they overheat. So technically, any device that uses this type of battery could experience a similar result.
(How safe are portable battery packs? Read more . )
We鈥檝e seen similar issues with overheating batteries that catch fire in everything from laptops to hoverboards and Tesla cars, so this isn鈥檛 unique to Samsung.
What鈥檚 changed at Samsung
For obvious reasons, Samsung knows it has to release their new flagship phones (Galaxy S8 and S8+) without a hitch.
According to Samsung, the primary change to their manufacturing process is that they now thoroughly test each batch of batteries from their suppliers with what they are calling an
Under the new testing process, if they encounter a single faulty battery in a production batch, as many as 15,000 can be rejected and sent back to the supplier.
So much is riding on the launch of Samsung鈥檚 new smartphones that I鈥檇 be very surprised if we see any real issues with the battery.
Early testing
The review unit that I鈥檝e been testing from Verizon has run cool to the touch, even when it鈥檚 charging, unlike several of my other Android devices.
The design of the S8 series is beautiful, and the 鈥渂ezel-less鈥� display design makes it seem like you鈥檙e just holding a screen in your hand.
They鈥檝e gone to 鈥渧irtual鈥� buttons, so the entire face of the phone is glass, making for a stunning display that runs over the edges. When it鈥檚 placed next to a similar-size iPhone, the increase in screen real estate becomes more obvious.
The larger S8+ is the same width as the S8 but taller, so it fits in your hand the same despite the much larger display.
Samsung wanted to make it possible for the average person to stretch their thumb across the entire screen for one-handed use even with the larger screen.
The fingerprint scanner is on the back, next to the single-camera lens, so you may find yourself needing to wipe the lens if you choose to use it as your unlock mechanism.
The greatly improved (but not perfect) facial recognition can unlock the phone as long as there is enough light for it to properly recognize you. Some reviewers have claimed that they were able to fool it with a picture, and Samsung said that it鈥檚 not as secure as the other options. But it鈥檚 really handy when it works.
Should you be afraid?
I wouldn鈥檛 be afraid of buying the new Samsung phones based on the past battery issues, but as with any new technology, letting a few million 鈥渆arly adopters鈥� be the guinea pigs for you is always a safe bet.
Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of . Ask any tech question on or .
