Phone manufacturers report that 80 to 90 percent of returned batteries have no faults or can easily be repaired with battery analyzing equipment. The remaining 10 to 20 percent, which do not easily recover with basic service, can often be restored with extended programs. Only a small percentage of batteries returned under warranty exhibit non-correctable faults.
Not all batteries and portable equipment under warranty fail due to manufacturer’s defects. A service manager for a major mobile phone manufacturer hinted that submersion into a cup of coffee or soft drink is a sizable contributor to equipment and battery failures. Apparently, the acids in the beverages manage to corrode the electrical conductors. Submersion into coffee occurs when the user mistakes the coffee cup for the phone cradle.
In an effort to salvage returned batteries, a leading mobile phone manufacturer segregates battery packs according to purchase date. Packs returned within the thirty-day warranty period are marked as type B. The batteries are then sent to a regional service center where they are serviced with battery analyzers. If the batteries are clean, (have no coffee residue) and regain a capacity of 80 percent or higher, the packs are relabeled and sold as a B class product. Over 90 percent of their returned batteries have been reclaimed with this program.
On the strength of this success, some battery-refurbishing houses have extended the service to include batteries of up to one year old. The service center experiences a 40 to 70 percent restoration yield in repairing these older batteries. The battery-refurbishing centers are said to make a profit. Equally important, such programs reduce the environmental impact of battery disposal.
