Nokia: Original batteries don't explode

Looking to allay concerns over the safety of some of its cell phones, Nokia cited a study that showed that earlier research on its "exploding" phones was based on samples that included counterfeit batteries.

The same group that released the earlier study, Belgian consumer group Test-Aankoop, has conducted new tests on mobile phones that use only original Nokia batteries. The results show that these batteries are protected against short-circuiting and are safe for consumers, Nokia said in a statement.

The batteries were subjected to safety tests following reports of four cell phone explosions in the past two months, one of which involved a phone made by Kyocera Wireless.

Nokia said it is helping authorities take legal measures against those selling fake batteries for Nokia phones. Several thousand counterfeit batteries have been seized in raids in Holland, the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe. The phone maker said it has plans to take similar steps in other regions.

"We believe Test-Aankoop's new test results of original Nokia batteries erase any doubts as to the safety of Nokia products, including original Nokia batteries," Janne Jormalainen, a vice president at Nokia, said in a statement. "The recent media attention to this industrywide problem has put a much-needed spotlight on the potential dangers of non-original batteries--and the industry's ongoing battle to rid the market of inferior, potentially unsafe products."