Nexus 4 Battery Swelling - Cautionary Tale and Adventure in Google Support Staff

[fernandezhjr]

Which means absolutely nothing when you're talking about over 800,000 devices sold.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Except not all 800,000 owners on this forum. I have seen others on other sites with this battery swelling issue. It is obvious that there was a bad batch of batteries let out. This is not so uncommon, I have seen it happen with other phones. A batch would mean there will be plenty, just not much in comparison to total devices sold. I have gotten a bad battery with a phone before myself.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[JHBThree]

Except not all 800,000 owners on this forum. I have seen others on other sites with this battery swelling issue. It is obvious that there was a bad batch of batteries let out. This is not so uncommon, I have seen it happen with other phones. A batch would mean there will be plenty, just not much in comparison to total devices sold. I have gotten a bad battery with a phone before myself.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

The word obvious does not mean what you think it means.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jnorton2724]

Don't leave your phone in the car unless its cold/snowing outside. A day in the car on a warm or hot day is a lot hotter then the outside temp. Just tell Google minimum info to get it fixed next time. To much info can give them more reasons to come up with so they don't have to replace the device or fix it.

 

[fernandezhjr]

The word obvious does not mean what you think it means.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

And what you think you know you obviously don't know.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[jrham]

I'm not saying it good for a phone at all but I worked in an Arizona
state prison for over 10 years all of which I was a cell phone/smart phone user, as a prison employee we were absolutely not allowed to bring cell phones on site and that meant they stayed in your car. In my 10+ years I had at least 5 different smartphones that survived many 110+? summer days without a single problem, also it can easily reach 180?in a car in this state. Another point, these phones can withstand quite a bit, everyone is worried about a phone in a car during an 85?day, well if im doing something outside during the summer my phone is with me and it was 109? today and the battery looks just fine.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using AC Forums mobile app

Even though I'm fully aware that batteries degrade in heat and can even be damaged or destroyed, I still believe they can handle higher extremes than many realize. In 10 years I never had a single issue and I never heard any of the 1000 other co-worker complain about the problem. Call it luck if you want .

Sent from my SGH-T889 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[festinator]

Except not all 800,000 owners on this forum. I have seen others on other sites with this battery swelling issue. It is obvious that there was a bad batch of batteries let out. This is not so uncommon, I have seen it happen with other phones. A batch would mean there will be plenty, just not much in comparison to total devices sold. I have gotten a bad battery with a phone before myself.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

but you haven't seen plenty of people complaining about this issue. And what exactly makes it obvious that there was a bad batch? 2 people having a problem? One because they left it in a car on a hot day?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[fernandezhjr]

but you haven't seen plenty of people complaining about this issue. And what exactly makes it obvious that there was a bad batch? 2 people having a problem? One because they left it in a car on a hot day?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Like I said. I have seen posts and pics at other sites, not just here. Also, with some of those spontaneous backs shattering, I wouldn't be surprised it is due to pressure from the battery. If the edge doesn't separate, pressure will be in the center. Also, there are other battery issues beyond a some of them swelling up, just read. A lot of posts about batteries not charging and flashing red indicator as an example. A batteries internal temperature gets hotter than it does in a hot car on the hottest of summer days in hottest part of the country. Shoot, with the N4, even the CPU heats up more than that. Not to mention, the op said he left it in the car over night, when it is actually cooler during nighttime.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Joe Barry]

Since when does 2 people having a problem signal a common issue?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Virtually never, considering they sold millions of these.

 

[fernandezhjr]

Virtually never, considering they sold millions of these.

It doesn't have to be common for an issue to exist. A batch a of batteries, CPUs, cameras, etc...will create an issue for those unfortunate few that end up with a device that has a piece of faulty hardware. It doesn't mean that out of those few, if two of them show up here, they are lying about their issue or they created it themselves.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Joe Barry]

It doesn't have to be common for an issue to exist. A batch a of batteries, CPUs, cameras, etc...will create an issue for those unfortunate few that end up with a device that has a piece of faulty hardware. It doesn't mean that out of those few, if two of them show up here, they are lying about their issue or they created it themselves.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

Never said anybody was lying, saying it's a common issue has an entirely different meaning and a hand few of bad batteries is not a common issue.

 

[fernandezhjr]

Never said anybody was lying, saying it's a common issue has an entirely different meaning and a hand few of bad batteries is not a common issue.

No it is not, but neither is a battery swelling due to the phone being left in a car overnight. Not sure why people are arguing that point or that it is not possible the battery was defective. A bad batch of any product can be of any given size. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe the protection circuitry with charger failed and the battery overcharged. This is an assumption also, since the op never stated that it was on charge during the night, but the amount of swelling would seem to indicate that.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[festinator]

No it is not, but neither is a battery swelling due to the phone being left in a car overnight. Not sure why people are arguing that point or that it is not possible the battery was defective. A bad batch of any product can be of any given size. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe the protection circuitry with charger failed and the battery overcharged. This is an assumption also, since the op never stated that it was on charge during the night, but the amount of swelling would seem to indicate that.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

We're arguing that point because someone earlier said it was a common issue, because him and the original poster both had it happen to their batteries.. The second guy a bit differently though.
That being said I think you may have solved the problem. Most people do charge their phones over night so I think its highly possible that what you said is correct, with the battery overcharging.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[SamSutty03]

Unfortunately I had the same problem, except my nexus 4 had been unused for a good few months and sat on my bedside table I picked it up yesterday and the battery had swelled up as you can see from the inserted images!
I'm thinking of complaining to google simply because of the potential fire hazard, or what if the battery had leaked and my two young dogs had tried to eat some harmful battery fluid? Something along those lines may get me some compensation...

 

[belodion]

Unfortunately I had the same problem, except my nexus 4 had been unused for a good few months and sat on my bedside table I picked it up yesterday and the battery had swelled up as you can see from the inserted images!
I'm thinking of complaining to google simply because of the potential fire hazard, or what if the battery had leaked and my two young dogs had tried to eat some harmful battery fluid? Something along those lines may get me some compensation...

Welcome to the forums.

Google might suggest in return that you take sensible precautions with your phone, and that you store it responsibly and in a very much safer place than a bedside table for months, and furthermore without checking it from time to time. Phones and other electronic equipment are potentially dangerous. The manufacturers do all that they can to ensure safety, but some input is required from the user, including reading safety instructions.
Luck was on your side in this instance. Hopefully this post will serve as a reminder to all of us not to be complacent about phone care and safety.

I think it's fairly unlikely that your Nexus 4 will work again.
Replacing?

 

[ChromeJob]

Do the included safety precautions mention long term storage? I'll have to check mine when I get home.

The battery of the Nexus 4 isn't user-replaceable (unless you have skills and read ifixit.com), so you can't remove it for long term storage. I would presume that long term storage in a drawer is better than on a counter exposed to heat, or...?

 

[thedogesoft]

Try buying a new back plate and battery. Then, get a Torx t5 and a Phillips #00 screwdriver. Just unscrew the backplate Then, unscrew the battery and put a new one in. Screw on the new backplate and you are done. Hope this helps