Trouble's are not over for Samsung
Im sure most of you have already heard or are aware of the Samsung Note 7 "exploding battery" concern. The phone itself is amazing, however with roughly 90+ cases of overheating 26+ cases of burns and 55 or more cases of property damage reported in the US alone, sales are in for a tough ride, especially with the recent release of the IPhone 7.
What was Samsung's response to all of this?
A very poor job at owning up to the issue and protecting it's customers from potentially dangerous equipment. I want to get it out there that I am in no way a Samsung hater. I myself bought the Samsung Note 7, but how they are handling the situation is just embarrassing.
Initially they issued a recall after a few dozen cases were reported, however this recall was clearly mismanaged and lacked any kind of urgency. I myself didn't even know about it until I started seeing videos and posts on social media. Nearly two weeks after Samsung initially recalled the Galaxy Note 7 due to the risk of explosion, the device was still being used just as frequently by its owners. It was also still being sold in stores and carriers.
In the initial recall Samsung said they would "voluntarily replace current devices with a new one over the coming weeks," but didn't mention whether it was safe to continue using the device. By the time I received a notification it had already been 2 weeks after the recall was first announced. I was asked to bring in my device for an exchange immediately and to also cease using it and power it off completely.
When I brought the phone in, I was told that I had 3 options and could either 1. exchange the phone for another Note 7 (but they could not tell me when I would receive the replacement) 2. Exchange it for an older model along with a credit or 3. get a complete refund.
I was aggravated and sad at the same time - first because I didn't know when i would get a replacement if i chose that option and second because it truly is a beautiful phone which means the last two options were not ideal.
Sales for the Samsung Note 7 were impressive along with the hardware itself and things were looking up for this new flagship device.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Samsung was late in coordinating with the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) about the problem, and only then they only issued a notice to stop using the Note 7. The CPSC did not issue an official recall, with the delay reportedly being caused by confusion over the exact nature of the fault and how it can be dealt with.
In some regions, Samsung released a software update that limited the Note 7's battery to a 60 percent charge, and in other's customers were advised to just minimize their charging to 60 percent to avoid overheating.
As of this writing the CPSC has officially issued a recall on one million units shipping with faulty batteries produced by Samsung SDI. The FAA (U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ) and various other public transportation systems such as the MTA (New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority) has issued official warnings against using the Note7 and in some cases have banned usage and charging of the device on flights, buses, and subways.
Below are some images from dailymail.co.uk of damage caused by the faulty batteries of the Samsung Note 7.
Below is some more information on the issue from various other sources
Samsung - Samsung Will Replace Current Note7 with New One
CNET - Samsung pins explosive Galaxy Note 7 on battery flaw
FOX News - Government announces official Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall
CNN Money - U.S. formally recalls Samsung Galaxy Note 7
CNN Money - Samsung Galaxy Note 7s unwelcome on NYC's buses and trains
As a result of the recall Samsung shares have plunged 11 percent losing around $22 billion of market value. According to Bloomberg, "the stock drop suggests the damage to Samsung’s brand could go well beyond the early estimates of $1 billion for a single product’s recall. " It's gonna be tough times for Samsung and the Note 7 ongoing.
As of this writing I have still not received an update on my phone replacement. Would you continue to wait or switch to an IPhone 7?
Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks for reading
Hmm is it me or does this not seem like a good time to buy Samsung after such a drop? I mean does anyone think they won't be able to come back from this in the long run?
edit: "The phone itself is amazing" this article even admits they still make good products.
I definitely love Samsung's innovation and design. If not for this incident, I think Samsung would have gained a lot of new supporters. Apple has just not been as innovative lately. It will be tough to recover from this though.
I've been using a Oneplus One for a couple years now and love it. I'll probably avoid Samsung and Apple again on my next phone in a year. Cyanogen Mod coming stock was a nice selling feature at the time but that relationship seems strained now and I'm not sure what what flavour of Android they will be running next year.
The IPhone 8 may be interesting and Android continues to improve on each new Samsung Phone. I have always been tempted to try out the Oneplus though
Mine has been great and it seems to be an eye catcher too. I'm often asked which model it is.
I almost bought a Note 7. Decided to wait for the IPhone 7 instead
It was too beautiful to pass up :)
Obviously I had heard about this but hadn't seen the images.
and those were only just a few pictures. Amazing the damage a little battery can cause
lol. That's a good one
I have a few Samsung Galaxy S series - I like them but since S5, I worry about buying the first batch. :-)
I guess same goes for all Phone models. First batch is always questionable