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Panasonic recalls 280,000 tablet batteries

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 check SKU battery recall instructions May 2017
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 recall instructions
The battery packs of three Toughpad tablet series are prone to short circuits after prolonged use in extreme temperatures, and so Panasonic ended up recalling the affected models, also releasing a patch that reduces both the charging voltage and peak operating settings.

Battery problems have been around for a long time, and it seems that even rugged devices designed for extreme conditions sometimes end up facing such issues. Today we find out that Panasonic has just issued a recall for no less than 280,000 batteries due to fire/burn hazards. The affected tablets are the Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3-series of the Toughpad FZ-G1.

According to AnandTech, who quoted Panasonic, the company received no less than 16 reports of combusted battery packs in just two months - March and April 2017. The same source reveals that one report came from Japan, one from Australia and 12 from North American customers.

As a consequence of this serious problem, Panasonic issued a firmware update to reduce charging from 4.2 to 4 volts. The patch also lowers the peak operating parameters of the battery. This is only a temporary solution to prevent any new incidents since those who own an affected tablet should contact Panasonic and arrange to get a new battery for free.

The models affected are FZ-VZSU84U, FZ-VZSU89U, and FZ-VZSU96U. Panasonic provides new batteries without asking for the old ones in return.

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Codrut Nistor, 2017-05-22 (Update: 2017-05-22)