Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 is a great smartphone - packing loads of power and some unique features.

But, in a few horrific cases, faulty batteries inside have caused the handsets to explode.

The South Korean company has instituted a worldwide recall on the product and airlines are taking no chances by banning them on planes.

But this isn't a feature unique to Samsung, as many other electronic gadgets use the same battery technology. Last year, hoverboards were the must-have Christmas toy - until they started exploding for the very same reason.

How does a lithium ion battery work?

Like any other battery, there are three parts to a lithium ion battery: the anode, cathode and electrolyte.

The anode and the cathode are electrical terminals called electrodes, and the electrolyte is the chemical in between them that conducts the electricity.

While the cathode holds positively charged ions, the anode holds the negatively charged ones. Both anode and cathode are in the electrolyte but are separated by a physical barrier so they can’t touch.

When the phone is being used, charge is pushed from the positive cathode through the electrolyte and attracted to the anode before flowing out to the different components of the phone. Once you’re plugged in and charging, this process is reversed.

Why do they blow up?

Lithium ion batteries begin to degrade almost immediately after leaving the factory. This is why a two-year old phone won’t keep charge as well as a six-month old one. What’s more, they’re very sensitive to high temperatures.

Secondly, when the (extremely volatile) electrolyte is inside a sealed battery case (like in a smartphone) pressure builds up and, on rare occasions, will actually puncture the casing.

That’s when the electrolyte (which is more like a paste than a fluid) seeps out and comes into contact with the other components of the phone.

What has Samsung done about it?

The number of affected Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones is very small - but that hasn't stopped the smartphone giant issuing a global recall .

“We are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market,” the company’s website states.

"However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

"For UK customers who have Galaxy Note7 devices, Samsung in collaboration with its partners and operators will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one.

"UK customers will be contacted by the provider or operator from which they purchased the product in order to arrange their device exchange.

"If customers have not been contacted before 19 September they should contact the provider or operator themselves to arrange the exchange.”