Sony Batteries Question

[sydsut]

Have Sony stopped manufacturing batteries and if so why?  You would think with the massive growth in vaping and especially powerful mods etc. that it would be a very profitable venture.

[*-SARIN-*]

Sony have removed the VTC5's and soon to be 4's from sale as they are not being used for their original intended purpose (LED torches). Quite rightly they are concerned with being sued if something goes wrong. Any VTC5's that are being sold now should be assumed to be fakes. Samsung 25R's are the new VTC5's.

[sydsut]

So Japanese Sony are just handing an ever growing market share to Korean manufacturers, Samsung and LG for instance, and Fakers. Crazy marketing strategy .

[*-SARIN-*]

Jan 30, 2015 13:05:17 GMT sydsut said:

So Japanese Sony are just handing an ever growing market share to Korean manufacturers, Samsung and LG for instance, and Fakers. Crazy marketing strategy .

Not really.  They are handing nothing over to the Koreans and none of the companies that you mention are active in the vaping community so there is no marketing strategy to ruin.  Sony never intended for their batteries to be used by vapers and have subsequently pulled them from production.  Why?  Well for a company that is currently on it's knees from the recent network intrusions i assume that the headline "Man dies after using Sony Battery" wouldn't do them any further favours.  On top of this they probably won't like the multi million pound lawsuit when a newbie pulls too much power through a poorly made coil.  You know how it works, it'll never say that the user was a fool, rather that it must be the battery.  Even if it is prove to be user error, the companies name has had mud slung at it.  Samsung and LG may well go the same way so be prepared for that.

[VapingBad]

There are various theories, a respected US vendor was told by a Sony rep that they were produced in the Fukushima plant which is obviously no longer operable and they are moving production to a new plant and will continue to make them as they were a very good seller, but they have never been produced for retail sale. Some people have emailed Sony and got generic replies from customer service saying they were never meant for vaping etc.

5 months ago on redit Sony Is Not Discontinuing the VTC Line of Batteries this is the video linked from that

[VapingBad]

Jan 30, 2015 12:58:48 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

Sony have removed the VTC5's and soon to be 4's from sale as they are not being used for their original intended purpose (LED torches). Quite rightly they are concerned with being sued if something goes wrong. Any VTC5's that are being sold now should be assumed to be fakes. Samsung 25R's are the new VTC5's.

VTC range was neven meant for torches they are a high drain battery and more for electric vehicle and power tool applications that need that much power.  I believe it's just that the old stock of VTC5s sold out before the VTC3 & VTC4.

[Get Off My Cloud]

VapingBad quick question, what's the difference between INR and IMR?
I assume it's the chemical composition but is there a reason to prefer one over the other?
Is one less volatile when it vents than the other, safer etc?

[VapingBad]

Jan 30, 2015 13:55:53 GMT Get Off My Cloud said:

VapingBad quick question, what's the difference between INR and IMR?
I assume it's the chemical composition but is there a reason to prefer one over the other?
Is one less volatile when it vents than the other, safer etc?

INR are higher capacity, cheaper, last longer, sometimes have protection and less safe.  IMR are high current, lower capacity and safer.  Look toward the end of the Bare Battery section of the battery guide in my footer for more info and for even more detail the links at the bottom of that.

[*-SARIN-*]

Jan 30, 2015 13:52:08 GMT VapingBad said:

Jan 30, 2015 12:58:48 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

Sony have removed the VTC5's and soon to be 4's from sale as they are not being used for their original intended purpose (LED torches). Quite rightly they are concerned with being sued if something goes wrong. Any VTC5's that are being sold now should be assumed to be fakes. Samsung 25R's are the new VTC5's.

VTC range was neven meant for torches they are a high drain battery and more for electric vehicle and power tool applications that need that much power.  I believe it's just that the old stock of VTC5s sold out before the VTC3 & VTC4.

You're correct, it wasn't LED torches, i was thinking of another battery and i agree that the old stock of VTC5's sold out first as they were quite rightly reviewed as awesome batteries.  VTC4's are becoming rarer these days as well.  I've used the Samsung 25R's for a while now and rate them over both of the Sonys.

[*-SARIN-*]

I also suspect that if the theory that they were made in the Fukushima plant and are moving production to another plant they will be marketed as another battery.

[VapingBad]

Jan 30, 2015 14:14:43 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

I also suspect that if the theory that they were made in the Fukushima plant and are moving production to another plant they will be marketed as another battery.

The 25R is not a retail battery either, Samsung & Sony etc almost certainly make them, then grade them and sell in many different guises, their biggest market will always be manufactures, but hopefully Sony will make a retail version in the future.

[*-SARIN-*]

Jan 30, 2015 14:21:07 GMT VapingBad said:

Jan 30, 2015 14:14:43 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

I also suspect that if the theory that they were made in the Fukushima plant and are moving production to another plant they will be marketed as another battery.

The 25R is not a retail battery either, Samsung & Sony etc almost certainly make them, then grade them and sell in many different guises, their biggest market will always be manufactures, but hopefully Sony will make a retail version in the future.

Do you think?  I'm not sure that they will because they would be liable for any accidents that the ill-informed have.  I reckon that they will decide that it's a minefield that they would rather not enter into.  Atm they can say that they never intended the batteries to be used for that purpose.  Once they produce a retail vaping battery they still have no control over the idiots on the planet pushing them beyond their means but will be liable because it was sold as a "vaping battery".

[VapingBad]

Jan 30, 2015 14:26:18 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

Jan 30, 2015 14:21:07 GMT VapingBad said:

The 25R is not a retail battery either, Samsung & Sony etc almost certainly make them, then grade them and sell in many different guises, their biggest market will always be manufactures, but hopefully Sony will make a retail version in the future.

Do you think?  I'm not sure that they will because they would be liable for any accidents that the ill-informed have.  I reckon that they will decide that it's a minefield that they would rather not enter into.  Atm they can say that they never intended the batteries to be used for that purpose.  Once they produce a retail vaping battery they still have no control over the idiots on the planet pushing them beyond their means but will be liable because it was sold as a "vaping battery".

I don't know, financially they wouldn't need to, but they may fear a back lash from the potential bad publicity of people abusing the fakes.  I doubt they wouldn't narrow the description to "vaping battery", just a "high drain battery" and could use a subsidiary to brand them.   I don't think that they would be any legal qualms as they are one of the safest batteries around and there are lots of people abusing fake "Sonys" could lead to far worse press.   The battery doesn't know if it is a vaping battery and it's like anything else you get the spec required.  The only times I have seen them reported as saying "they never intended the batteries to be used for that purpose" is from end users emailing the public Sony customer support who deal with retail products only.  There is more danger from these going wrong in a poorly regulated large multi battery array in a vehicle or mains backup supply where overheating could spread.

[*-SARIN-*]

Jan 30, 2015 14:43:07 GMT VapingBad said:

Jan 30, 2015 14:26:18 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

 financially they wouldn't need to...

After the past 18 months they might be looking at alternative cash flow paths that don't involve IT? Their reputation is in tatters from the Playstation debacle and the share price is still dropping. 

[VapingBad]

Jan 30, 2015 14:49:11 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

Jan 30, 2015 14:43:07 GMT VapingBad said:

 financially they wouldn't need to...

After the past 18 months they might be looking at alternative cash flow paths that don't involve IT? Their reputation is in tatters from the Playstation debacle and the share price is still dropping. 

Just meant the batteries will sell either way.