[News]Galaxy Note 7のリコール問題 海外でもすごいニュースに
2016/09/05
GalaxyNote7のバッテリーが爆発して燃えたという報道を受けてサムスンが全台検査を行いリコールが決定したという話。
[News]サムスン、2016年モデルギャラクシーノートスマートフォン「Galaxy Note 7」のバッテリー爆発問題でリコールを行うとの報道
海外でもものすごいニュースになっています。
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Following the reportedly halted Galaxy Note7 distribution in Korea after reports of the smartphone exploding during charging, the company is allegedly thinking of recalling every single one of them.
According to South Korean media outlet Chosun Ilbo, Samsung had originally planned to exchange the Galaxy Note7 batteries of customers free of charge. However, the new plan is to reportedly issue a refund or exchange with a new phone altogether.
Samsung reckons its various manufacturing partners burdened with the task of producing the phone's battery pack are to blame. More specifically, Korean ITM Semiconductor is the one, at which Samsung points a finger for making the faulty packs.
Naturally, this turn of events is quite bad for Samsung. The company's stock is falling rapidly, so it'll possibly issue an official statement on the matter very soon.
According to The Herald, the phone's launch in China will go according to schedule.
In the mean time a reader of ours directly informed us that Samsung has halted distribution of the phone in Belgium as well. There, the company is withdrawing the Note7 stock that's currently in its sales partners warehouses and that will undergo a quality check. Thanks, Matthias!
We've been seeing reports of Galaxy Note7 devices exploding while being charged, but that regularly happens with so many different models and brands, especially due to faulty chargers, that we didn't pay much attention to it. However, it seems that the story is different and really serious this time.
A Samsung official speaking to Yonhap said the company estimates that less than 0.1% of Galaxy Note7 devices sold were affected and that the root of the problem was traced back to the battery. But at several millions sold, even this small a percentage can be a hazardous risk and one Samsung is not ready to gamble with. Since the Note7 doesn't have a removable battery, the official says that the company is about to issue a recall of all its new Galaxy Note7 devices sold at home and abroad.
The announcement should happen within a week, while Samsung irons out the kinks of making a recall with its dealers like Verizon in the U.S. The results of Samsung's investigation into the matter should be made public (good on them!) this weekend or early next week though, along with countermeasures to avoid them from happening to your device.
This is definitely an unprecedented issue in our mobile industry, especially at the level and scope that Samsung operates at. It might be a severe hit to the Note7's sales, but if anyone can take it, it's this South Korean giant. I'm positive a little doubling down on marketing, some good freebies to affected customers, and a lot of transparency regarding the issue will go a long way to make sure everyone is satisfied.
Image credit: Baidu, via PhoneArena
Following reports of exploding batteries in its latest smartphone, Samsung is expected to announce an "unprecedented" recall of the Galaxy 7 Note less than a month after it first debuted.
According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, an unnamed Samsung official says the company is conducting an investigation and is expected to announce the results this weekend or early next week. Samsung has indeed traced the explosions to the battery of the device and is in talks with Verizon and other U.S. business partners to figure out how to deal with the issue.
Samsung's solution may be to recall all Galaxy Note 7 devices that have been sold thus far, as the company has no plans to hide the result of its investigation.
"The most important thing is the safety of our customers and we don't want to disappoint our loyal customers," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. [...]
"Products installed with the problematic battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold. The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we'll come up with convincing measures for our consumers," said the official.
The Galaxy Note 7 went on sale on August 19 and shortly after, reports began circulating about devices that exploded or caught on fire while charging. Images and videos of damaged Galaxy Note 7 devices have been circulating around the internet and have already led Samsung to delay shipments of the device. No injuries have been reported thus far.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 features a 2,560×1,440 Super AMOLED dual curved display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core 64-bit 14nm processor, 4GB of RAM, 12-megapixel Dual Pixel rear-facing camera, wireless charging, an iris scanner, IP68-rated waterproofing, and a 3,500 mAh battery.
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Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 debuted to almost surprising critical acclaim earlier this month, but since launch we've seen occasional reports of devices exploding while being charged. The company said yesterday that it delayed Note 7 shipments while it looked into the situation, but a report from Korea's Yonhap News Agency suggests Samsung knows what's going on and is prepared to announce a widespread recall.
Yonhap spoke to an anonymous Samsung official, who claimed the cause of the explosions stemmed from the Galaxy Note 7's battery. While the exact cause of these battery explosions has yet to be disclosed, Yonhap's source went on to say "less than 0.1 percent" of devices sold are affected. When asked for comment, a Samsung spokesperson provided the following statement:
"In response to questions on Galaxy Note7, we are conducting a thorough inspection. We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers."
If the report holds true, the company doesn't plan to announce the results of its investigation until either this weekend or early next week. That delay is said to be a result of discussions Samsung is having with its global carrier partners -- Verizon is said to be one such company Samsung is discussing the matter with, which suggests that the upcoming recall could be a global one. The cynics in us also can't help but note that if Samsung waits to announce the results of its investigation until next week, it might be able to dodge a certain degree of press scrutiny at the IFA tradeshow currently running in Berlin.
To date, the Note 7 has been launched in ten countries, and Samsung has said demand has exceeded its own expectations. The sales situation has grown so strained, in fact, that Samsung told CNBC it had to adjust the device's launch in some markets. That people want Galaxy Note 7s isn't a surprise; reviewers (myself included) seemed to love the device. More importantly, after the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge helped the company rebound from a rough financial start to 2016, Samsung looked to the Note 7 as one of its financial pillars for the latter half of this year. If a recall -- global or otherwise -- is in the works, Samsung's near future won't be as rosy as it hoped.
Source: Yonhap
Samsung is preparing to announce a massive and global recall of its brand new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. The drastic and unprecedented step would be a direct result of Samsung's ongoing investigation into reports that the Note 7's battery has exploded while charging, and Samsung could announce a recall as soon as this coming weekend. Just yesterday, it was reported that Samsung had decided to delay Note 7 shipments while investigating the claims, and it would appear that the company has found a serious cause for concern. The Verge has reached out to Samsung and all the major US mobile operators for comment.
Yonhap claims that Samsung is currently in discussions with carriers that have already launched the Note 7 — Verizon Wireless is mentioned by name — about how the recall process will be handled. The company has also reportedly ordered UK carriers to halt the Note 7's planned launch in that region next week. "Results of the investigation and relevant countermeasures will be made public this weekend or early next week at the latest," the official said. The Samsung official told Yonhap that this dangerous issue impacts less than 0.1 percent of Note 7 devices sold thus far, but clearly the company is unwilling to take chances.
A widespread recall of the well-received Note 7 would deal a major blow to Samsung's mobile business at a time when many view the company's latest smartphone lineup as its best yet. When questioned about the recall rumor, a Samsung spokesperson didn't provide a definitive answer, instead giving The Verge the following statement:
We are conducting a thorough inspection. We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers.