Help Is this phone a definite fire-hazard?

[smasheroO16]

It's seven years since I bought a Samsung Galaxy s7 smartphone for my wife. After reluctantly giving up her old Nokia, she grew to love it. However, after all this time, I'm wondering whether the Galaxy s7 ought to be let go of. It's not that it doesn't work satisfactorily for her — she is perfectly happy with it. The reason is that I am concerned about whether old phones are a fire hazard. I have looked on the Web and read about swollen batteries, but there is no reason to think that the battery of her phone is swollen. However, because of a lack of knowledge, I do have a concern that a phone battery may be a fire hazard simply because it is old. I have raised the question of us buying her a new phone in the past, but my wife tends to cling on to things she has used for a long time, and it would take an earthquake for her to say, Oh yes, we'll replace it! I would not want to mention my concern about it being a possible fire hazard unless I was certain of this and could give her a powerful reason for changing it. Also, being old, we are not well-off, so the cost of a new phone would be another reason for keeping it.

I'm sure that many people reading this will have the opinion that one ought to keep up with the latest as a matter of course, but, if we can manage with what we have, we are satisfied. Can anyone comment on this? Is it dangerous to hang on to a seemingly good-enough old phone?
With thanks for any helpful and informed comment,
S.

 

[mikedt]

I think you'll know if the battery is becoming swollen, because it will start to split the phone apart. That is a definate danger of having an old LiPo battery. And another concern with a battery of that age is very likely to be a diminished capacity, as well as possible inability to actually power the phone properly without it being unstable, with symptoms like unexpected restarts.

 

[smasheroO16]

Thanks, Mike. However, my question remains: does a battery become a fire-hazard simply because it is old, even if it is not swollen? And of course, if the phone eventually starts to malfunction through an aged battery (or for any other cause), it will be obvious that it needs replacing. Even my clinging-on wife would see that. Ha, ha!

 

[mikedt]

I've never heard of a LiPo battery becoming a fire hazard simply because it's old. AFAIK they're only really dangerous if they're charged when swollen, or they're physically abused. That said, I recommend you don't charge it while unattended, in-case it does puff-up and become dangerous.

I've actually got a 15 year old iPod Video with it's original battery. The battery still isn't swollen and it still works, however the battery doesn't have much capacity left these days.

 

[svim]

Basically all Li-ion smartphone batteries are prone to exploding but that involves actual, physical damage to the battery itself. Older batteries are more likely to spontaneously swell up, but that's not a given. It's very much an isolated possibility, it is NOT a probability. So don't get caught up in the fear-mongering crap that that the news media uses as click-bait, there are literally millions and millions of mobile devices across the planet that are just as or much older than her S7, also with very dated batteries and other than lessor usability are not blowing up nor turning into fire hazards.
Just keep an eye on if her phone does start to swell up on its own. A little bulge is an indicator to immediately make sure her data is backed up and take actions to upgrade to a new phone. Otherwise, it's more likely for her to notice she needs to recharge her phone a lot more frequently. All batteries age, gradually losing the ability to provide power and requiring longer and more frequent charging sessions. That aspect is inevitable.

 

[smasheroO16]

Basically all Li-ion smartphone batteries are prone to exploding but that involves actual, physical damage to the battery itself. Older batteries are more likely to spontaneously swell up, but that's not a given. It's very much an isolated possibility, it is NOT a probability. So don't get caught up in the fear-mongering crap that that the news media uses as click-bait, there are literally millions and millions of mobile devices across the planet that are just as or much older than her S7, also with very dated batteries and other than lessor usability are not blowing up nor turning into fire hazards.
Just keep an eye on if her phone does start to swell up on its own. A little bulge is an indicator to immediately make sure her data is backed up and take actions to upgrade to a new phone. Otherwise, it's more likely for her to notice she needs to recharge her phone a lot more frequently. All batteries age, gradually losing the ability to provide power and requiring longer and more frequent charging sessions. That aspect is inevitable.

I'm profoundly grateful for all of these replies, and I appreciate the trouble you have all taken to type out such long and detailed responses. Thank you all, very very much! My wife can hang on to her beloved phone for a while longer now. That's just as well, because I don't know how we would have found the money, for a long time!
With best regards to all,
S.

 

[ocnbrze]

so i found this video:

so the theory is that unused phones has a higher chance of swelling up. so as long as you use it, the phone should be fine.

 

[svim]

One aspect that you should take into consideration with a dated phone is it can be a lot less of a hassle to upgrade from an old phone to a new phone when the old phone is still functional and in your possession. If, and emphasize 'if', her S7 needs to be sent off to be serviced but it's determined to be dead. Unless you have a good and recent full backup available, restoring her S7 user account data to the new phone is going to be problem. That is just a 'doom and gloom' scenario but with smartphones it's important to set up an automated backup solution no matter what.

With a new phone, the recent changes to more current Android phones already include a handy file transfer function as long as you have both the new and the old phones in either close proximity to each other (using a mix of Bluetooth and an ad-hoc WiFi connection) or connected via something like a USB cable. (In your case, that will likely require a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter or cable since most new phones now have USB Type-C ports, and her S7 has the older microUSB port).
A possible alternative if you're going to eventually upgrade her to another Samsung phone is to use Samsung's Smart Switch utility:

Smart Switch | Apps - The Official Samsung Galaxy Site

Simple data transfers. Secure backups. Smart Switch is the app that moves content to your new Samsung Galaxy from your old device, whether it's an Android device or not.

www.samsung.com

Smart Switch allows you to make full backups of a Samsung phone so that's a big plus, and it's also useful to transfer an entire user account on an older Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone. But that's if you opt to upgrade to another Samsung phone. Smart Switch does work with a very limited number of phones from other manufacturers but it's primarily intended to be a Samsung-only utility.

Given the S7 model was Samsung's Flagship model in its day, if you're planning on buying another Samsung flagship, that's a good choice for a future-proof, full-featured phone. But it is costly so if budget has become a primary consideration there are some good alternatives that are very adequate for just typical day-to-day usage:

The Best Budget Android Phones

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a phone, we found a cheap Android model that isn’t horrible.

www.nytimes.com

And if you're willing to get locked into a contract with a carrier, there are some really good deals for free or heavily discounted (but carrier-branded) phones, all ranging from budget to mid-range to flagships. Just do the math based on her previous years of phone usage, a lot of those shiny deals will involve you actually paying more for a carrier-locked phone, spread out over 2 years of contracted payments, than just buying an unlocked phone from a third-party retailer. I'm just making an assumption but this kind of carrier contract issue isn't notable since she apparently prefers to use a phone and keep using it until she's more or less coerced to upgrade.

 

[Windroid]

If I were you @smasheroO16 , I'd be more worried about not getting security updates than I'd be about a fire. Does your wife put her financial information on that phone? Her Google accounts? If so: Not good!

I would suggest an iPhone for your wife, seeing as she's not one for replacing her phone every few years. Even my ten-year-old iPad still gets "critical security updates" (Apple's words, not mine). Or maybe a FairPhone, if you're outside of the US. I do which there was an Android phone I could confidently point you (or rather, your wife) towards. But sadly, Apple's the only smartphone manufacturer I would trust to give long-term security updates to their phones. FairPhone might be good about that too, but do your own homework there. Also, FairPhone is a poor choice is you're in the United States, because those phones are not designed to work with American cellular networks.

See also the thread Android Security Tips

 

[smasheroO16]

If I were you @smasheroO16 , I'd be more worried about not getting security updates than I'd be about a fire. Does your wife put her financial information on that phone? Her Google accounts? If so: Not good!

I would suggest an iPhone for your wife, seeing as she's not one for replacing her phone every few years. Even my ten-year-old iPad still gets "critical security updates" (Apple's words, not mine). Or maybe a FairPhone, if you're outside of the US. I do which there was an Android phone I could confidently point you (or rather, your wife) towards. But sadly, Apple's the only smartphone manufacturer I would trust to give long-term security updates to their phones. FairPhone might be good about that too, but do your own homework there. Also, FairPhone is a poor choice is you're in the United States, because those phones are not designed to work with American cellular networks.

See also the thread Android Security Tips

Windroid: My wife doesn't keep financial information on her phone. She only keeps her family photographs on it. As far as Web usage is concerned, mostly, she uses online dictionaries. I shall bear in mind what you say about obtaining a new one (in due course). Thanks for all your information and advice!
S.

 

[smasheroO16]

One aspect that you should take into consideration with a dated phone is it can be a lot less of a hassle to upgrade from an old phone to a new phone when the old phone is still functional and in your possession. If, and emphasize 'if', her S7 needs to be sent off to be serviced but it's determined to be dead. Unless you have a good and recent full backup available, restoring her S7 user account data to the new phone is going to be problem. That is just a 'doom and gloom' scenario but with smartphones it's important to set up an automated backup solution no matter what.

With a new phone, the recent changes to more current Android phones already include a handy file transfer function as long as you have both the new and the old phones in either close proximity to each other (using a mix of Bluetooth and an ad-hoc WiFi connection) or connected via something like a USB cable. (In your case, that will likely require a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter or cable since most new phones now have USB Type-C ports, and her S7 has the older microUSB port).
A possible alternative if you're going to eventually upgrade her to another Samsung phone is to use Samsung's Smart Switch utility:

Smart Switch | Apps - The Official Samsung Galaxy Site

Simple data transfers. Secure backups. Smart Switch is the app that moves content to your new Samsung Galaxy from your old device, whether it's an Android device or not.

www.samsung.com

Smart Switch allows you to make full backups of a Samsung phone so that's a big plus, and it's also useful to transfer an entire user account on an older Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone. But that's if you opt to upgrade to another Samsung phone. Smart Switch does work with a very limited number of phones from other manufacturers but it's primarily intended to be a Samsung-only utility.

Given the S7 model was Samsung's Flagship model in its day, if you're planning on buying another Samsung flagship, that's a good choice for a future-proof, full-featured phone. But it is costly so if budget has become a primary consideration there are some good alternatives that are very adequate for just typical day-to-day usage:

The Best Budget Android Phones

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a phone, we found a cheap Android model that isn’t horrible.

www.nytimes.com

And if you're willing to get locked into a contract with a carrier, there are some really good deals for free or heavily discounted (but carrier-branded) phones, all ranging from budget to mid-range to flagships. Just do the math based on her previous years of phone usage, a lot of those shiny deals will involve you actually paying more for a carrier-locked phone, spread out over 2 years of contracted payments, than just buying an unlocked phone from a third-party retailer. I'm just making an assumption but this kind of carrier contract issue isn't notable since she apparently prefers to use a phone and keep using it until she's more or less coerced to upgrade.

Wow, svim, that is some reply! Thanks for the plethora of information and advice.

 

[smasheroO16]

so i found this video:

so the theory is that unused phones has a higher chance of swelling up. so as long as you use it, the phone should be fine.

That's very reassuring, ocnbrze. Thank you very much. I have been astonished at the lengths people on this forum will go to, to help someone. Thank you all, again!
S.

 

[ocnbrze]

That's very reassuring, ocnbrze. Thank you very much. I have been astonished at the lengths people on this forum will go to, to help someone. Thank you all, again!
S.

i have been a part of this forum for a very long time. i consider all members as part of family. this is the best forum online hands down. i'm just glad i can help.

 

[Hadron]

If I were you @smasheroO16 , I'd be more worried about not getting security updates than I'd be about a fire. Does your wife put her financial information on that phone? Her Google accounts? If so: Not good!

I would suggest an iPhone for your wife, seeing as she's not one for replacing her phone every few years. Even my ten-year-old iPad still gets "critical security updates" (Apple's words, not mine). Or maybe a FairPhone, if you're outside of the US. I do which there was an Android phone I could confidently point you (or rather, your wife) towards. But sadly, Apple's the only smartphone manufacturer I would trust to give long-term security updates to their phones. FairPhone might be good about that too, but do your own homework there. Also, FairPhone is a poor choice is you're in the United States, because those phones are not designed to work with American cellular networks.

See also the thread Android Security Tips

Samsung offer 5 years of security updates on some of their phones, and Google offer this for recent Pixels. So if security updates are your concern both of these match Fairphone (and ironically Samsung are offering OS updates for longer than Google!). Of course Fairphones are much better on sustainability and repairability than any of these.

 

[Windroid]

Samsung offer 5 years of security updates

I thought it was four years.

 

[Hadron]

4 years of OS updates, 5 years of security updates (source).

Recent Pixels are also 5 years of security updates but only 3 years of OS updates (Google have lagged Samsung on OS support for a couple of years now).

 

[nickdalzell]

Although I believe the issue was wildly overblown, it was the Galaxy Note 7, not the S7 that had the 'explody' issue (They could have offered a removable battery which would have saved the Note 7 though) but a battery can still work even with it being old. The one in my HTC Thunderbolt (which I used up until Verizon killed it in 2023) was 12 years old, and the one in my Dell Vostro 1700 (what I'm using now) is 16 years old, and yet still works for a couple hours in 'high performance' mode (which is great considering it's a desktop replacement laptop and didn't have that much to begin with when new)

I got various smartphones and tablets, some with removable batteries, some without. Even an iPhone 4 that never had a battery replacement that still works. None have done 'spicy pillows' except for an aftermarket battery which came with one of my two Galaxy SIII's and the two that belonged to my S5 (that was a known issue with the Samsung Galaxy S5 batteries--they don't tolerate heat and that phone heats up a lot).

Heat is what often destroys a Li-Ion battery, and letting them get far too low to safely recharge. Most smartphones, even those from the glory days of 2010, wouldn't even attempt to charge if the battery had issues, often showing a 'battery with exclaimation point' icon if the phone still booted up, or showed a charging screen saying 'unable to charge non-supported battery see user manual'.

Samsung's update policy differs depending on whether it's a flagship or a budget (see: A-Series) phone. Budget phones get only two major Android updates (versions) and 3 years of security patches. It's ironic they've become team leader on Android updates given their long-running reputation in the old days of being one of the worst at lagging behind!

 

[Hadron]

Samsung's update policy differs depending on whether it's a flagship or a budget (see: A-Series) phone. Budget phones get only two major Android updates (versions) and 3 years of security patches. It's ironic they've become team leader on Android updates given their long-running reputation in the old days of being one of the worst at lagging behind!

Yeah, that's why I said "some" Samsung phones - though a few of the more recent A series models also get the longer support period.

I think Samsung started out OK - as I recall the SII got a better than average support period - but then became utterly hopeless before improving more recently. What I find weird is that Google have been lagging behind them for OS updates for the last couple of years, given that they have become much more serious about selling Pixels than they were a few years ago.

 

[nickdalzell]

I wish they never got rid of Nexus. I never liked Pixels. If someone wanted something as bare bones as an iPhone, they'd buy an iPhone. It's not like they needed iPhone users to convert to Android given Android was already #1 globally anyway!

 

[Hadron]

Actually my biggest problem with the Pixels - apart from them physically getting too large - is that they aren't bare bones enough: I'd prefer an actual AOSP phone to a Google services platform (including a default launcher with widgets that Google see no reason to give you a choice about).

Nexus was a much cooler name too

 

[nickdalzell]

Sadly I think Google chose death re: AOSP the day they closed sourced all the apps that once were AOSP leaving many to languish in the Gingerbread era (which I'm sorta happy about since I loved GB's UI design, and it's an easy way to get bits and pieces of it back on a modern device)

There was a time when Google Search widget on a CyanogenMod ROM based on Lollipop had the Gingerbread UX. AOSP Music+ in Play Store retains it as well, and Gallery is stuck in the Android Holo era. (I miss holo too)

I wish I could bring over Gingerbread's original lock screen with the 'slide to unlock' bit, as it reminded me most of my iPhone and felt nice to use. Was also convenient to instantly enable silent mode. Play Store still lists the Gingerbread launcher too, and it installs, but crashes on launch instantly. Won't let me use it. It's one of few older apps that they even list (many times using a modern device it hides the old stuff)

 

[Windroid]

4 years of OS updates, 5 years of security updates (source).

Recent Pixels are also 5 years of security updates but only 3 years of OS updates (Google have lagged Samsung on OS support for a couple of years now).

Better then one or two years, but as I said: My 10-year-old iPad still gets "critical security updates" (in Apple's words). My recommendation stands: I think @smasheroO16 is best off with an iPhone for his wife.

 

[nickdalzell]

I finally got the 'slide to unlock' back via an app called Espier Locker i6. Found it online. So there's that at least. Also got a lot of apps and a launcher that at least restores the default iOS 6 UX and status bar.