An internal Samsung investigation on the Note 7 debacle has now divulged that the fire and subsequent explosions were caused by the device’s battery.
Samsung’s earlier recall of Note 7 devices had cost the electronics giant billions of dollars (Reuters)
Since the Note 7 fire fiasco, there have been repeated guessworks and speculations on what decidedly was the cause for the explosions. Samsung hurried its own investigation in the matter and now has concluded that the problem was with the battery and not in the phone’s design, hardware or software.
Samsung, according to Reuters, was able to successfully replicate the fires during its investigation. The results of the probe will be made announced on January 23. The details would be made public a day before it announces detailed fourth-quarter earnings results.
Samsung’s Note 7s were pulled from shelves in more than 10 countries just two weeks after the product’s launch in August. The recall came after Samsung said it had confirmed 35 instances of Note 7s catching fire or exploding.
The world’s top smartphone maker saw its mobile earnings plunge 98 percent from a year earlier to its lowest since the fourth quarter of 2008.
Back in October, the firm began working with regulators and third-party experts to conduct a thorough investigation. Immediately after, the Korean media speculated the causes of explosion to be an error in the temperature control system of the battery, the USB Type-C interface and its Quick Charge function or the design of the device.
Samsung initially announced that the issue was caused by its own SDI subsidiary. Subsequently it temporarily stopped using Galaxy Note 7 units powered by Samsung SDI batteries in September 2016.
The recall of its premium Galaxy Note 7 cost it the company at least $5 billion. With the Galaxy S8’s impending release soon, the company is allaying fears of another Note 7 debacle. Samsung may unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge/Plus at Mobile World Congress 2017.
COMMENTS