Samsung to reveal Galaxy Note 7 probe results this month: Report
Samsung will announce this month the results of an investigation into the Galaxy Note 7’s overheating problems. (Source: AP) Samsung will announce this month the results of an investigation into the Galaxy Note 7’s overheating problems. (Source: AP)
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will announce this month the results of an investigation into what caused some of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to catch fire, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday citing unnamed sources. The South Korean firm said in October it was examining all aspects of the phone, suggesting there may be a combination of factors that contributed to one of the costliest product safety failures in tech history.
The world’s top smartphone maker warned of a $5.1 billion hit to its operating profit over three quarters following its decision to permanently halt Galaxy Note 7 sales in October. Investors and analysts have said it is critical for Samsung to identify the root cause of the fires in order to rebuild consumer trust and avoid repeating the same mistakes. A Samsung Electronics spokesman declined to comment.
The report comes even as Samsung’s chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun said on Monday that the company should make no compromises on the quality of its products. He was asking employees to improve manufacturing processes and safety inspections in a New Year’s speech to Samsung employees disclosed by the firm. The CEO also warned of growing political and economic uncertainties from risks such as trade protectionism and foreign exchange rates.
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It was revealed in December that Samsung had finished investigating what caused problems with the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 kept overheating and exploded in some cases, which eventually resulted in the product being pulled off the shelf.
Samsung has said it has collected 90 per cent of the devices in the US, and will be issuing an update to the remaining users. This will brick the phone, and won’t allow the device to be charged. So far, there’s no official word from Samsung on when it will reveal the exact cause of the problems with Note 7.
With Reuters inputs
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