Two Soylentils wanted to fill us in on Samsung's Note 7.
Every shipped Galaxy Note 7 is subject to a battery-related recall:
Looks like Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 can give you some bang for your buck after all—Samsung will be issuing a global recall for all 2.5 million of the phones it has shipped so far, says Reuters. Some of the phones shipped with faulty batteries that could catch on fire. Details of the recall program will be available as soon as Samsung works out the details with different carriers in different countries, and customers will be able to exchange their phones for models with non-faulty batteries or get their money back entirely.
Samsung provided the following statement to Ars and other publications:
"In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7. For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks."
As reported by CNN Samsung has decided to pull a Dell and ship batteries in the latest addtion to their flagship lineup - The Note 7. (A shame - I was going to buy two). Samsung has issued this statement, which could have been shortened to "We're sorry we set some shit on fire. Here, have a new one on the house". All prompted by this video.
Related Stories
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 troubles may not be over, following another incendiary incident aboard an aircraft:
Samsung Electronics Co. could face an unusual second recall of its Note 7 smartphones if one that caught fire aboard an airliner this week is a replacement device as its owner says, two former U.S. safety officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are investigating Wednesday's incident, when a passenger's phone emitted smoke on a Southwest Airlines Co. plane readying for departure from Louisville, Kentucky. A flight attendant doused it with a fire extinguisher, and the plane was evacuated without injury. "If it's the fixed phone and it started to smoke in his pocket, I'm going to guess there'll be another recall," said Pamela Gilbert, a former executive director of the consumer agency. "That just doesn't sound right."
Samsung has been engulfed in crisis since the Note 7 smartphones began to burst into flames just days after hitting the market in August. The Suwon, South Korea-based company announced last month that it would replace all 2.5 million phones sold globally at that point. Samsung said it had uncovered the cause of the battery fires and that it was certain new phones wouldn't have the same flaws. [...] Samsung and U.S. officials announced the [first] recall after 92 reports of batteries overheating in the U.S., with 26 cases involving burns.
Previously:
Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 due to 'Exploding' Batteries
Florida Man Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Note 7 that Exploded in His Pants
"We are temporarily adjusting the Galaxy Note7 production schedule in order to take further steps to ensure quality and safety matters," a company spokesperson said. Production of the phone has been temporarily suspended, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday.
The development is the latest in a string of embarrassing setbacks for Samsung over the Note 7, one of its flagship smartphones. It comes aftercell phone carriers in the United States and Australia said they would stop offering replacement Note 7s following concerns that the new versions are no safer from fire risk than the originals.
Soon after the Galaxy Note 7 hit stores in August, some users reported that their phones were catching fire. Samsung (SSNLF) recalled about 2.5 million of the devices worldwide last month, blaming faulty batteries for overheating the phones and causing them to ignite.
Replacement phones were supposed to solve the issue, and users started trading in their old devices. But some customers have been reporting the same dangerous problems with their new phones.
In the past week, an American user reported his replacement phone caught fire, even though it wasn't plugged in. And on Wednesday, smoke started billowing from a replacement Galaxy Note 7 aboard a Southwest Airline plane before it departed, prompting the flight's cancellation.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it is investigating the incident on the plane.
TuanAnh Nguyen, a research analyst at Canalys, said the production halt would cost Samsung billions of dollars in lost sales over the next six to nine months. It should now abandon the product entirely, he said. "Samsung needs to quickly put an end to the Note 7 line so as not to get deeper into trouble with recalls and faulty devices which will tarnish its brand," Nguyen said.
UPDATE:
Official: Samsung Halts All Sales of Galaxy Note 7, Recommends Powering Down and Getting a Refund |
Submitted via IRC for exec
Moments ago, Samsung confirmed that they are halting all sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 across the globe. Not only that, but they are recommending that owners of the phone turn them off and “take advantage of the remedies available.” Those remedies are returning the phone at the place of purchase for a refund …
All sales and production of the Galaxy Note 7 have now been halted.
Previously:
Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 due to 'Exploding' Batteries
Florida Man Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Note 7 that Exploded in His Pants
Samsung Faces the Prospect of a Second Galaxy Note 7 Recall
Samsung 'Blocks' Exploding Note 7 Parody Videos
Samsung appears to have filed copyright claims against YouTube videos mocking its recalled Galaxy Note 7 handset. Many gamers have showcased a modification to video game Grand Theft Auto V, in which sticky bombs were switched with exploding Samsung phones.
But some have reported that their videos have been blocked on YouTube following a copyright complaint.
Samsung has not yet responded to repeated BBC requests for comment.
Critics have warned that trying to remove gamers' videos will only draw more attention to them.
One US gamer - known as DoctorGTA - said restrictions had been put on his YouTube account as a result of Samsung's complaint. "It's going to take three months to get the strike removed from my channel... I got my live stream taken away," he said in a video.
Game Modification Ridicules Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The gamer HitmanNiko (non-Cloudflare link), and perhaps others, modified the sticky bomb weapon in Grand Theft Auto V , giving it the appearance of the trouble-prone Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone. Reportedly, Samsung sent a DMCA notice to YouTube, requesting that one of the videos showing the mod in use be taken offline, and YouTube, initially, complied. The video (N.B. shows violence) is currently available; according to the uploader, "YouTube finally put it back up."
coverage:
- SlashGear
- NDTV
- TechDIrt
- phonearena.com (nothing about take-down notice)
- Gizmodo (nothing about take-down notice)
related:
Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 due to 'Exploding' Batteries
Samsung Faces the Prospect of a Second Galaxy Note 7 Recall
UPDATE: Samsung Halts Galaxy Note 7 Production
BGR reports that Samsung is to offer the Galaxy Note 7 FE, a mobile phone built with components from the company's recalled Galaxy Note 7. The device is set to go on sale in South Korea on 7 July for "below 700,000 South Korean won ($616)".
Previously:
Source of Samsung Note 7 Fires Announced
"Galaxy Note 7" Wi-Fi SSID Delays U.S. Flight
Samsung Software Update Will Brick Few Note 7s Left in the Wild
Samsung Takes Out Full-Page Ads to Apologise for the Note 7
Samsung Posts 30 Percent Profit Plunge on Note 7 Crisis
Samsung 'Blocks' Exploding Note 7 Parody Videos
UPDATE: Samsung Halts Galaxy Note 7 Production
Samsung Faces the Prospect of a Second Galaxy Note 7 Recall
Florida Man Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Note 7 that Exploded in His Pants
Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 due to 'Exploding' Batteries
(Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday September 03 2016, @12:47PM
Given the costs associated to dumping electronics, I predict Samsung will present soon The Galaxy Note ISIS soldier edition.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:55PM
I was thinking along similar lines. No need to make a pipe bomb for your terroristic activities, just buy a Galaxy Note 7, overload the batteries, and toss it at your target. It can't be much more dangerous to you, than packing those pipe bomb grenades!!
(Score: 5, Touché) by datapharmer on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:14PM
I wonder how they are feeling about the money they saved by integrating the batteries instead of making hem removable now...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04 2016, @11:09AM
The batteries are removable, but only for Samsung. These phones will be fixed, refurbished and shipped again.