UPDATE : In a statement issued to TechCrunch, Samsung has said,
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.
PREVIOUSLY : Samsung unveiled the humongous beast, the Galaxy Note 7, last month but it miserably failed to mention anything about the blasting capabilities of the phablet during the presentation. Yes, you heard it right, blasting(boom!!).
According to multiple reports, certain Galaxy Note 7 batteries have blasted while the phablet was placed on charging. While the demand for the notoriously feature-packed Note 7 has exceeded expectations, the news about battery complications could cause some serious hit to sales. This is horrifying news for Samsung as it was banking upon the Note 7 to further boost sales figures this quarter.
The explosion of the batteries could by attributed to either of the two faulty parts — battery or charging cable, report local sources. Samsung is aware of the situation and has already delayed product shipments abroad and halted them for three local telcos in South Korea.
It has also mentioned that it is going back to the lab to conduct more quality control tests on its latest flagship phablet. There is, however, no official word on why the tech giant is rechecking the quality of their device. There have also been reports of sub-standard device performance.
Until now, Samsung hasn’t decided whether it will recall all Note 7 units sold to users or only the ones affected with the defected parts. Thus, it might need to recall over 400,000 handsets that have already been sold in South Korea.
Reports also suggest that customers would be able to visit their nearby service centers and get a free replacement for the defected part(or battery). There wouldn’t be any provision for a refund or a replacement, adds local reported Chosun Ilbo. And as for users abroad(specifically U.S), Samsung will be offered a similar option for replacement of defective batteries.
Reuters also reports that the exploding batteries and the shipment delay has already wiped over $7 billion off Samsung’s market value. This even led investors to pull the stock down to a two week low, and the timing couldn’t be worse as Apple is ready to debut its flagship device within a week.
At this moment, there is only one advice I have for Note 7 users, please be careful while charging or using a device. You never know what could happen next, so don’t sleep with the phablet very close to you. Be Safe!
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