Dangerous Defects in Batteries Used for Power Banks [Report]

Industrial CT scans from Lumafield's new battery quality report have exposed serious risks in the lithium-ion cell supply chain. The investigation focused on 18650-type batteries—a standard format found in power banks, camera gear, and MagSafe-compatible chargers—and revealed that low-cost and counterfeit cells contain a troubling rate of dangerous defects.

When building its own products, Apple maintains tight engineering and quality controls. Detailed teardowns and scans have shown the incredible engineering that goes into genuine components, such as the custom lithium-ion battery inside AirPods Pro. Lumafield's findings, however, show a massive quality gap when it comes to the generic cells that dominate the third-party market. After scanning more than 1,000 batteries from ten different brands, the investigation found that while OEM batteries showed tight manufacturing controls, cheaper alternatives were riddled with issues that increase the risk of short-circuiting and catastrophic failure.

Among the most concerning defects was cathode overhang, where misaligned internal components can trigger the growth of sharp metallic crystals—known as dendrites—inside the cell. Over time, these can lead to internal shorts, dangerous overheating, or even fires. Nearly 8% of low-cost and counterfeit batteries scanned had this defect, while none of the legitimate cells from Murata (formerly Sony), Samsung, or Panasonic exhibited the flaw.


The investigation also revealed a sharp gap between advertised and actual capacities. Benkia and Maxiaeon, for example, claimed an unrealistic 9,900mAh on their labels but delivered just 13% and 12% of that figure in real-world testing, respectively. That shortfall has real implications for users of devices like the iPhone Air, where battery reliability is a key concern. And with products like the AirPods Pro 3, where the battery isn't serviceable, the quality of the original cell becomes even more critical.

Other manufacturing metrics showed similar gaps. Low-cost cells had seven times worse performance on anode overhang—a key measure of process control—and 50% worse edge alignment, accelerating performance degradation and increasing the risk of internal shorts. The findings echo warnings from safety groups about unregulated batteries slipping into popular consumer devices.

You can download the Battery Quality Report at the link below...

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