The South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics blamed the faulty batteries for the fire incidents which strained the humiliated recall process of last year’s flagship Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device. Based on the internal and independent investigations, the company has learned that the batteries were the main cause of the Galaxy Note 7 incidents.
Initially, Samsung announced the recall of the supposed device to replace them. But, the company learned that the replacement devices were also catching fire and then the company forced down to discontinue the smartphone. The Galaxy Note 7 fiasco cost billions in lost profit and reputation damage for the company.
“We sincerely apologies for the discomfort and concern we have caused to our customers,” said Koh Dong-Jin, the head of Samsung mobile business in Seoul.
The company had recalled over 2.5 million units of the affected Galaxy Note 7 device back in September 2016 when several devices caught fire and exploded. The Samsung Electronics is the major unit of Samsung Group. Samsung is the largest corporate in South Korea with revenue comparable to about a fifth of the country’s GDP.
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After the reputation damages caused due to Galaxy Note 7 incidents, the next edition in the series, the Galaxy Note 8 has been delayed by the company to ensure the safety issues. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was likely to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Samsung arranged about 700 researchers and engineers to investigate and test over 200,000 fully-assembled Galaxy Note 7 devices and more than 30,000 batteries, said in the press statement.
The Battery A used in Galaxy Note 7 had a design issue at the right corner of the battery, whereas the Battery B was built with defective internal welds, said Kevin White, chief scientist at Exponent.
Koh Dong-Jin, head of mobile business dismissed the chances of suing the manufacturers over the faulty batteries. He said that the parts used in the company’s products are the responsibility of them to verify its safety and quality. Hence, seeking legal action will not be a wise conclusion. The Galaxy Note 7 included around 1000 different parts which were sourced from 450 suppliers, he added.
