Samsung Halts Galaxy Note 7 Sales Worldwide

[kdarling]

Do you know what reality is?

Yes. For one thing, reality is using actual facts.

You claimed that the replacements were simply returned phones taken apart and put back together with a different battery.

Any proof of that? Because normally such a unit would have to be marked as remanufactured. Not to mention the time difficulty of taking apart glued units with glued-in batteries (according to the iFixit teardown).

 

[I7guy]

It might be over a longer timeline (or at least, it took longer to acknowledge), but plenty of Apple products have sent people to the hospital, caused multiple fires and evacuations on airliners, and burnt down at least one house.

US Recalls:

• 2001 - Apple recalls 570,000 adapters with fire hazard sold 1998-2000.
• 2004 - Apple recalls 28,000 laptop batteries with internal short.
• 2005 - Apple recalls 128,000 laptop batteries with internal short.
• 2006 - Apple recalls 1.1 million (1.8M worldwide) battery packs w/ fire hazard, injuries, property damage.

(That last recall involved as many batteries in the US, as Samsung with the Note 7.)

US Class Action Settlements:

• 2008 - 2.3 million adapters w/fire hazard sold since 2001, took two years to settle.
• 2011 - 10 million power connectors, fire hazard since 2006, took two years to settle.

All that said, the point of my post was about the claim that Samsung shouldn't have announced/started a recall before the CPSC gave approval. Apple's done it themselves. And I think more than once.

It's okay to bash Samsung (I'm an HTC and Moto fan myself), but at least do it for something they did that was really screwed up. In this case, I'd guess that it was too quickly taking the word of middle managers claiming they had figured things out.

Nobody is bashing anybody, Apple or any of its past issues has nothing to do with this debacle of releasing a faulty product after a recall. With 1 billion idevices I expect issues. If Apple had rereleased a product with the same issues they should have been given the same flack. The scope of apples issues was minor in comparison to this. If your point is, stuff happens. Noted.

 

[kdarling]

Nobody is bashing anybody, Apple or any of its past issues has nothing to do with this debacle of releasing a faulty product after a recall.

As I've already noted, that wasn't my point about bashing.

I was only referring to the flack Samsung has gotten over the CPSC pre-announcement timing, flack which started long before anyone knew about faulty replacements.

It was simply not a valid complaint, unless we want to include Apple as an offender too, and many other companies. When I was looking up legal liability issues, it was actually recommended that companies announce their intentions so as to show that a recall was voluntary.

 

[Sailorgirl8]

Ok consider my hand slapped. I dropped iPhone for the first time since the 3 for the Note 7 and now look!!!! Lesson learned, I ordered a replacement iPhone 7 plus. Not going back to Samsung. For all I know the S7 Edge will have issues next!

 

[I7guy]

As I've already noted, that wasn't my point about bashing.

I was only referring to the flack Samsung has gotten over the CPSC pre-announcement timing, flack which started long before anyone knew about faulty replacements.

It was simply not a valid complaint, unless we want to include Apple as an offender too, and many other companies. When I was looking up legal liability issues, it was actually recommended that companies announce their intentions so as to show that a recall was voluntary.

That ship has sailed. At this point, except for wrongful damage suits, what people will remember is that Samsung stopped production of the note series due to exploding batteries. Samsung handled this entire episode poorly and it has nothing to do with Apple.

 

[zombierunner]

I have a Samsung tv and microwave. Should I replace them? Serious question

 

[cgsnipinva]

It's got the best screen on the market. It's also got the nicest multitasking available in a smartphone (though this point may be considered subjective). Unfortunately it's also lighting on fire. Hopefully this st least translated to screens just as nice in future releases.

The screen is good - grant you that -but multi-tasking on a phone is subjective. Most of the value of the phone comes from the software and that comes from Google and is available on hordes of other phones. Samsung's value proposition is the hardware delivering Google software and services. They botched that hard with the Note 7.

Those same Google software and services are on several other maker's handsets that don't blow up.

While Samsung is diversified and large - this botch can damage them in one important industry. Cell phones and mobile computing. While not a corporate death blow it is significant from a brand perspective because Samsung electronics are more visible than their shipping and construction businesses.

 

[Mrjoedot]

It's samsung. Enough said

 

[linuxcooldude]

It's the same manufacturer Amperex Technology Limited that's also exploding iPhones.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Repo...air-of-exploding-iPhone-6s-Plus-units_id86399

http://www.nbc12.com/story/33324416/womans-iphone-explodes-near-her-one-year-old-son

http://abc13.com/news/students-iphone-explodes-in-his-back-pocket-catches-fire-/1535128/

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-iPhone-6s-catches-on-fire_id86109

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/5-on-your-side/iphone-explodes-in-st-peters-mans-pocket/265410117

http://www.pressherald.com/2014/01/31/kennebunk_student_s_cellphone_catches_fire_in_pocket_/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/01/newser-iphone-fire/5101833/

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...Phone-Caught-Fire-In-My-Pocket-303150061.html

http://www.khou.com/news/local/man-describes-how-iphone-6s-catches-fire-while-charging/99231628

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...-after-iphone-catches-fire-mid-flight-n543516

http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/66037216-story

http://www.ejinsight.com/20150706-tai-wai-womans-iphone-6-plus-explodes-while-being-charged/

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/1648947-story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/02/exploding-iphone-leaves-man-with-third-degree-burns/

https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/54te00/running_a_little_hot/

Still on deflection mode. The exploding/fire issues on the iPhone pales in comparison to the Note 7 incident. Apple has not had to discontinue its flag ship phones because of isolated incidents, some of which can be traced to misuse.

 

[Breaking Good]

It seems to me the best way for Samsung to handle this is to just say, "We're really sorry we screwed up. Ship back to us your Note 7 and we'll ship you a Galaxy S7 Edge, a 256 GB microSD card, a VR headset, a bluetooth headset and your choice of a Gear 2 smartwatch or Gear 3 smartwatch when available."

I think I would also throw in a US$100 coupon for a Note 8 if and when it is ever available just for good measure.

I think all this would blow over pretty quick if they did this.

 

[iGeek2014]

Ok consider my hand slapped. I dropped iPhone for the first time since the 3 for the Note 7 and now look!!!! Lesson learned, I ordered a replacement iPhone 7 plus. Not going back to Samsung. For all I know the S7 Edge will have issues next!

I nearly considered ditching my iPhone 6s Plus for the Note 7 but am glad I didn't now.

However other phones from Samsung *touchwood* are not affected by this ongoing issue.

It's easy to mock the company but who knows maybe one day Apple, HTC and other manufacturers may find themselves having to initiate a recall program because of serious faults?

 

[linuxcooldude]

It's easy to mock the company but who knows maybe one day Apple, HTC and other manufacturers may find themselves having to initiate a recall program because of serious faults?

I see two big differences between at least Apple & Samsung. 1) Samsung rushing to market to beat Apple. 2) Then screwing up the replacement phones.

Apple doesn't rush most releases. We see that with people complaining Apple not supplying enough phones during release and often being backordered ( Along with most of its other products ). Maybe with Samsung's debacle customers may be more patient when supply catches up with the demand.

 

[gimikinc]

Li batts have failures in many products and they are not very forgiving when it happens. The safety aspect regardless of manufacturer impacts everyone. The phone meltdown on the flight must have been scary to all on that flight.

Maybe not much of a choice, as the phone has a negative reputation now, but good they discontinued selling it.

 

[admob71]

I wanna mention below The Verge article title which I believe is appropriate to what I feel is Samsung pure arrogance and lack of attention and empathy towards its most loyal customers.

Samsung just recalled the Galaxy Note 7 — without using the word recall

As bad as telling customers they are holding it wrong!!! Embarrassing !!!

 

[yellowtruck]

Samsung today announced that it is officially asking its global partners to cease all sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while it further investigates claims of ongoing safety issues with replacement devices.

As of last week, there have been several reports from customers who had their replacement Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, which were deemed safe by Samsung, catch on fire. The devices were supposedly using batteries Samsung said were "not vulnerable to overheating and catching fire."

(Image: Shawn Minter)​

On Wednesday, a flight from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated when a Note 7 began smoking, and on Saturday, a 13-year-old girl in Minnesota received burns from a defective device while a man in Kentucky suffered from smoke inhalation after his Note 7 caught fire while he was asleep.

Two additional reports of replacement Note 7 fires rolled in on Sunday from Virginia and Texas, plus there were reports of fires from Taiwan and South Korea.

By Monday morning, all major carriers in the United States had already announced plans to stop sales and "safe" replacements of the Galaxy Note 7, and now sales will temporarily end worldwide.

According to Samsung, customers with an original Galaxy Note 7 or a replacement Galaxy Note 7 should shut down their devices and stop using them right away.Earlier today, reports suggested that Samsung has stopped production on the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung said that it is "temporarily adjusting the Galaxy Note 7 production schedule in order to take further steps to ensure quality and safety matters," with more information to be available in a month.

For customers in the United States who still have a Galaxy Note 7, all of the major carriers are now offering to replace the defective devices with another smartphone, such as an iPhone 7.

Article Link: Samsung Halts Galaxy Note 7 Sales Worldwide

There could be no greater of a worse case scenario than these spontaneously combustible devices for any product manufacturer. I have to admit, I went to the Korean market the other day and bought some pot-stickers. I started thinking about what corners could this food manufacturer have cut to save? Images of cats, horse meat etc. came to mind and I could no longer finish eating what remained on the plate. We often take for granted the high standards we have here in the US assuming they are just as high elsewhere. Permits regulations and FDA, health and safety inspections seem like red tape and costly but they save lives and substantially reduce risk.

 

[Feenician]

As bad as telling customers they are holding it wrong!!! Embarrassing !!!

After that stretch, you'll need it.

 

[citysnaps]

As bad as telling customers they are holding it wrong!!! Embarrassing !!!

No, telling someone they're holding a phone wrong (or right) does not speak to a similar situation, where the phone might cause a fire that could result in property damage or risk of injury/loss of life. Not even close.

 

[admob71]

No, telling someone they're holding a phone wrong (or right) does not speak to a similar situation, where the phone might cause a fire that could result in property damage or risk of injury/loss of life. Not even close.

It's exactly the same, they recognised there was an issue and immediately did a recall. Unfortunately they messed up the new devices. I.e. they acted upon the issue and took responsibility.

Instead of.....

Blaming customers for their bad antenna design...

The severity of the problems are irrelevant, it's how they handled them.. one, with grace and dignity. And the other with a complete lack of class and respect for its customers...

 

[philosopherdog]

They keep cramming more cores to try to make them not suck. But what a disaster that they can't even make sure the replacements don't start fires.

 

[kdarling]

Li batts have failures in many products and they are not very forgiving when it happens. The safety aspect regardless of manufacturer impacts everyone.

True.

The phone meltdown on the flight must have been scary to all on that flight.

You mean the Southwest plane?

Not really. Everyone calmly walked off the plane, since it was still at the gate

So it was much more of an annoyance than anything else.

The last article I read where someone was absolutely terrified on a plane, was about an iPhone catching fire on a flight to Hawaii. And even then only the owner panicked, while the crew calmly put it out. Cabin phone/tablet fires are not the end of the world. It even happened recently to a crew credit card reader, and they first tried to put it out in a metal trashcan so they wouldn't have to divert, but it made too much smoke. That's the main reason flights land after these incidents.

It's a pity that news outlets (and it now looks like even the CPSC and TSA) are trying to justify their existence by putting out frightening warnings about smartphone fires. Seriously, this country is going to hell in a click bait hand basket.

Give me some Australians. They usually seem to keep a more level head about the relative danger of things.

 

[lordofthereef]

The screen is good - grant you that -but multi-tasking on a phone is subjective. Most of the value of the phone comes from the software and that comes from Google and is available on hordes of other phones. Samsung's value proposition is the hardware delivering Google software and services. They botched that hard with the Note 7.

Those same Google software and services are on several other maker's handsets that don't blow up.

While Samsung is diversified and large - this botch can damage them in one important industry. Cell phones and mobile computing. While not a corporate death blow it is significant from a brand perspective because Samsung electronics are more visible than their shipping and construction businesses.

It was requested that someone (not me but I chimed in) name some features, so I did. In fact I even mentioned multitasking was subjective (but an undoubtedly large part of the marketing for the note and something note users, a group I don't count myself part of, often like to mention).

But respectifully you simply repeated what I said with more words. And now I'm just repeating it again lol.

 

[Feenician]

one, with grace and dignity. And the other with a complete lack of class and respect for its customers...

"Complete radio silence for two week of replacement phones blowing up and not so much as an apology, just a leak to TechCrunch when they discontinue it"

"Grace and dignity"

Pick one

 

[admob71]

"Complete radio silence for two week of replacement phones blowing up and not so much as an apology, just a leak to TechCrunch when they discontinue it"

"Grace and dignity"

Pick one

You're reading it wrong!!

 

[I7guy]

It's exactly the same, they recognised there was an issue and immediately did a recall. Unfortunately they messed up the new devices. I.e. they acted upon the issue and took responsibility.

Instead of.....

Blaming customers for their bad antenna design...

The severity of the problems are irrelevant, it's how they handled them.. one, with grace and dignity. And the other with a complete lack of class and respect for its customers...

Ship has sailed on this.

I like how you are blame shifting this mess to Apple. Well done! The severity of the problems are the only thing that matter everything else is hyperbole.

 

[super chimp]

Galaxy Note7's death may mean $17 billion in lost sales for Samsung

http://m.gsmarena.com/galaxy_note7s...lion_in_lost_sales_for_samsung-news-21003.php