Dell Battery Recall Could Have Far Reaching Implications For Your Electronic Device

You haven’t heard the last of the great Dell battery recall.

The computer maker suffered a black eye this week after announcing the largest consumer electronics recall in history. Some 4 million laptops are being shipped back, after warnings their lithium ion batteries could short circuit and cause a fire.

But the effect of the power pack call back could have far more extensive implications – it could lead to other computer makers, cell phone manufacturers and even game gadgets all being given a second look.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has confirmed it’s probing other devices that use the Sony batteries to see if they pose a danger. And any of those items could be the subject of a future recall if problems are discovered.

The batteries are used in Apple computers, some Hewlett-Packard machines and PCs from the Lenovo Group.

“We are looking at the complete scope of the batteries made by Sony to ensure that no other consumers are in harm’s way,” the Commission’s Scott Wolfson assures. “We recognize that the batteries manufactured by Sony are not unique to just the Dell notebook computers.”

For now, the main focus is on laptops, but officials confirm they’re anxious to hear about problems with other products.

“It’s probably not Dell-specific,” notes market researcher Roger Kay. “If they have the Sony cell, specifically the cell made between April 2004 and June 2006, they have the problem.”

But Sony claims the problem only applies to the batteries it sold to Dell and Hewlett-Packard insists none of its portables pose a risk.

The Japanese giant has offered to help the computer maker pay for the cost of the recall. It’s estimated that could pull a whopping $430 million out of Sony’s profit margins this year.

But to do nothing would be even more expensive in the mind of an already wary public.

For more information on the Dell recall and how to tell if your model is one of those affected, click here.

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