In August 2016, Samsung released the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. After a month, there have been reports of exploding Galaxy Note 7 handsets. By mid-September 2016, the company officially called in for a recall of the smartphones. By October 2016, Samsung stopped the production, and sale of the said smartphone model.
After a few months of thorough investigation, on January 23, 2017, Samsung Electronics has officially announced the cause of malfunction of the Galaxy Note 7. In the press conference held in Seoul, Korea, the company also announced measures to prevent these accidents from recurring.
DJ Koh, the President of the Samsung Mobile Communication Business explained their findings and analysis of the malfunction. He also expressed his sincere apology as well as appreciation to the customers of the Galaxy Note 7, mobile operators, as well as retail and distribution partners, and business partners for their patience and continued support.
Accompanying Koh, were executives from UL, Exponent and TUV Rheinland; including Sajeev Jesudas, the President of Consumer Business Unit, UL; Kevin White, Ph.D, Principal Scientist, Exponent; and Holger Kunz, Executive Vice President Products, TUV Rheinland AG. They all performed their own investigation into various aspects of the Galaxy Note 7 incidents.
To explain the problem in detail, the company created an infographic:
Source: Samsung News
According to Business Insider, Samsung said that during the past months, around 700 Samsung researchers and engineers tested more than 200,000 fully assembled devices, as well as 30,000 batteries to find out the root cause of these incidents.
According to the report from Samsung, they implemented a “broad range of internal quality and safety processes to further enhance product safety including additional protocols such as the multi-layer safety measures and 8-Point Battery Safety Check”, based on their findings.
They also set up a Battery Advisory Group. The members include: Clare Grey, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge; Gerbrand Ceder, Ph.D., Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley; Yi Cui, Ph.D., Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University; and Toru Amazutsumi, Ph.D., CEO, Amaz Techno-consultant.
The company also released an infographic for the 8-Point Battery Safety Check:
Source: Samsung News
Here is a video summary of the report:
Source: YouTube, CNet
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