Samsung has offered its customers a free trade-in service on batteries for its Galaxy S4 smartphone, after users complained the batteries were swelling or draining rapidly.
There have been several reports on online forums of problems with the phone’s rapid battery drain and others claiming that their Galaxy S4 is getting hot when in use. Several have complained of the battery swelling, so much so that the smartphone no longer lies flat.
The Galaxy S4, which was released in March of this year, is expected to have been the best-selling smartphone worldwide in August, however Samsung is yet to offer sales figures.
In a statement, Samsung said: "We are aware of this issue, which has affected a limited number of customers." However, Samsung has not elaborated on how many customers have been affected overall.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 2600mAh Lithium-Ion battery, which is user-replaceable. A number of users have been replacing the battery using alternative retailer sites, which may be why Samsung has decided to offer the battery trade-in program through their service centres.
Samsung’s spokesperson added: "We ask all affected customers to please visit their nearest Samsung Electronics service centre, where they can receive a replacement battery for free of charge. We remain committed to providing the best possible user experience for our customers."
Batteries in phones do suffer from degradation over many years of use, however the phone has been on the market for less than a year, therefore these battery complaints within such a short space of time has surprised many.
The Galaxy S4 includes a range of features including an eight-core chip, non-touch gestures to control the screen and an eye-tracking system.
Those affected by their phone’s rapid battery drain or swelling can find a service centre via Samsung’s UK website.
