The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2023–2026
BenQ's GV31 projector: a lithium battery that overheats in the dark
The battery can overheat and burn: three reports, one burn injury. 1,249 projectors at $500–600 recalled; the remedy is a free battery repair or replacement.
BenQ · 2026-07-30
What happened
BenQ America Corp. of Costa Mesa, California — the US arm of Taiwan's BenQ — sold about 1,249 GV31 portable projectors at $500 to $600 from July 2023 through May 2026.
The projector's lithium-ion battery can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. BenQ received three reports of overheating, including one incident of burns to the hands. The CPSC recalled the GV31 on July 30, 2026.
The remedy is a free battery repair or a replacement projector, shipping included. A $600 cinema in a can shipped three years with a battery that runs hot.
Why it happened
- The lithium-ion battery can overheat — fire and burn hazards; three reports, one burn injury to the hands; recalled Jul 30, 2026
- 1,249 GV31 projectors at $500–600 sold Jul 2023–May 2026 — three years of movie nights on a hot cell
- The remedy is repair or replacement with shipping included — the projector travels to the fix and back
The lesson
The portable projector is a battery with a lens — the cell is the product, and a hot one turns movie night into a burn report. Three years of sales is three years of luck.
Sources
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