Nokia recalls 46 million phone batteries

Over the last few months millions of li-ion notebook batteries have been recalled and it looks like this is spreading to other products too. Nokia today announced they are recalling a staggering 46 million (!) own-brand batteries.

These Nokia BL-5C batteries were all made by Matsushita, Nokia says models produced between December 2005 and November 2006 could in very rare cases short-circuit and explode.

Nokia has identified that in very rare cases the Nokia-branded BL-5C batteries subject to the product advisory could potentially experience overheating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge. Nokia is working closely with Matsushita and will be cooperating with relevant authorities to investigate this situation.

Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries who have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries. This advisory applies only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006, from which there have been approximately 100 incidents of overheating reported globally. No serious injuries or property damage have been reported.

Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery. According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device.

To check if your battery is at risk visit Nokia's battery replacement site.