How worried should I be about the reports of exploding and overheating mobile phone batteries?
Lithium ion (Li Ion) batteries are the preferred rechargeable battery for many consumer applications. They also are used in commercial, industrial, and military applications. It is expected that more than 3 billion lithium ion cells will be manufactured in 2008. While it is highly unusual, there have been reports of overheating, fire, or ruptures in connection with the use of lithium ion batteries. The billions of lithium ion batteries in use today and the exceptionally small number of cases in which a battery malfunction has occurred demonstrates that these batteries are safe and reliable when used according to manufacturers’ guidelines.
