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Samsung to Reveal Results of Galaxy Note7 Fire Investigation Later This Month

Monday January 2, 2017 8:36 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Samsung will announce later this month the results of an investigation into what caused some of its Galaxy Note7 smartphones to catch fire, according to South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Note7 in late August and, shortly after, user reports began circulating about devices that exploded or caught on fire while charging. At the time, the company said the underlying issue was "problematic" batteries installed in a very limited number of the smartphones sold.


Rumors suggest Samsung pushed suppliers to meet tighter deadlines for an earlier launch, in order to beat the iPhone 7, leading to critical oversights that led to some batteries catching fire. In October, Samsung said it was examining all aspects of the smartphone, but noted it was not yet able to reproduce the problem.

Samsung issued a Galaxy Note7 recall in September, and permanently discontinued the smartphone in October after some replacement devices caught fire. Samsung has urged customers to return their Galaxy Note7s immediately, and in December began seeding a software update to prevent unreturned devices from charging.

Samsung faces the challenging task of regaining consumer trust after the Galaxy Note7 safety risks, which led to the smartphone being banned on all U.S. flights. Airlines are required to disclose the Galaxy Note7 ban prior to takeoff on every U.S. flight, inevitably damaging the reputation of Samsung's brand.

galaxy-a-2017
Looking forward, the company today announced a trio of new mid-tier Galaxy A smartphones, including the 5.7-inch A7, 5.2-inch A5, and 4.7-inch A3 models. The latest A models feature metal frames and 3D glass backs, improved 16-megapixel cameras, IP68 water and dust resistance, and longer battery life.

Samsung said the refreshed Galaxy A series will be available in Russia in early January, followed by other global markets. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Note 7
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kdarling
34 months ago

Only took them four months.


If it was an obvious mistake, then it'd be easy to figure out after reports came in.

Like making an external antenna which can be detuned with the smallest touch of a pinky finger. Or designing a case opening brace which was too short and thus acted like a fulcrum for bends instead. Or putting out a Maps app that was missing tons of basic info. Those all were instantly clear to almost anyone.

But since it took so long in this case, perhaps it was something subtle and/or requiring a certain sequence of events.

Heck, it only happened to about one in forty thousand units. So unless you had a good idea what the cause was, imagine how many units you'd have to test to make the result repeatable.

Wait...let me get this straight....Do people still BUY Samsung smartphones? Their flagship model caught fire and EXPLODED...SPONTANEOUSLY!


iPhones have done the same. They've caught fire on airplanes in flight, something that never happened with the Samsung model in question. (Because it was banned. Should iPhones also be banned then?)

People have been badly burned by iPhones. Someone has even died from an iPhone fire in his bed, which again never happened with a Samsung Note.

Does that make you never want to buy an iPhone again? Of course not. If it didn't happen to them, people don't care that much. Especially when the device hits all their desire points, like the Note does and the iPhone does.
Rating: 22 Votes
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DrMotownMac
34 months ago
Wait...let me get this straight....Do people still BUY Samsung smartphones? Their flagship model caught fire and EXPLODED...SPONTANEOUSLY! Then, after the explanation and recall, the replacement phones had the same problem!! They could have the coolest phones on the market, but you couldn't pay me enough money to bring one of their products into my house and actually plug it into an outlet. Well, I suppose if I were planning to burn my house down and collect the insurance money...yeah, then maybe I'd consider it. Otherwise, I think I'd have to have my head examined before trusting a Samsung smartphone. My 2-year-old Samsung washer and dryer give me all kinds of problems as it is. I think I'm done with that company going forward.
Rating: 18 Votes
Avatar
macTW
34 months ago

If it was an obvious mistake, then it'd be easy to figure out after reports came in.

Like making an external antenna which can be detuned with the smallest touch of a pinky finger. Or designing a case opening brace which was too short and thus acted like a fulcrum for bends instead. Or putting out a Maps app that was missing tons of basic info. Those all were instantly clear to almost anyone.

But since it took so long in this case, perhaps it was something subtle and/or requiring a certain sequence of events.

Heck, it only happened to about one in forty thousand units. So unless you had a good idea what the cause was, imagine how many units you'd have to test to make the result repeatable.



iPhones have done the same. They've caught fire on airplanes in flight, something that never happened with the Samsung model in question. (Because it was banned. Should iPhones also be banned then?)

People have been badly burned by iPhones. Someone has even died from an iPhone fire in his bed, which again never happened with a Samsung Note.

Does that make you never want to buy an iPhone again? Of course not. If it didn't happen to them, people don't care that much. Especially when the device hits all their desire points, like the Note does and the iPhone does.

I recommend using google... multiple Samsung replacement devices caught fire on planes. iPhones have NEVER caught fire on planes accidentally - the only times were intentional punctures of the battery. Almost every iPhone fire, in any capacity, came from non OEM third party accessories. Not the iPhone.
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
keysofanxiety
34 months ago

If it was an obvious mistake, then it'd be easy to figure out after reports came in.

Like making an external antenna which can be detuned with the smallest touch of a pinky finger. Or designing a case opening brace which was too short and thus acted like a fulcrum for bends instead. Or putting out a Maps app that was missing tons of basic info. Those all were instantly clear to almost anyone.

But since it took so long in this case, perhaps it was something subtle and/or requiring a certain sequence of events.

Heck, it only happened to about one in forty thousand units. So unless you had a good idea what the cause was, imagine how many units you'd have to test to make the result repeatable.



iPhones have done the same. They've caught fire on airplanes in flight, something that never happened with the Samsung model in question. (Because it was banned. Should iPhones also be banned then?)

People have been badly burned by iPhones. Someone has even died from an iPhone fire in his bed, which again never happened with a Samsung Note.

Does that make you never want to buy an iPhone again? Of course not. If it didn't happen to them, people don't care that much. Especially when the device hits all their desire points, like the Note does and the iPhone does.


Only on MacRumors can an article about Samsung phones exploding due to a manufacturing defect be spun into an anti-Apple comment. It boggles the mind, it really does.
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
DrMotownMac
34 months ago


iPhones have done the same. They've even caught fire on airplanes in flight, something that never happened with the Samsung in question. Someone has even died from an iPhone fire in his bed, which again never happened with a Samsung.

Does that make you never want to buy an iPhone again? Of course not. If it didn't happen to them, people don't care that much.


Did iPhones get recalled? Did Apple issue a replacement product that had the same problem? Were all US airlines required, by law, to ban all iPhones from every flight? No?? Why not? Because Steve Jobs, and now Tim Cook, have so much more political influence and power that they were able to prevent all of that bad stuff from happening to Apple?

Come on. This was a MAJOR problem, affecting a lot more than one customer with one faulty product. And then when the company claimed they fixed the problem, people were still having the same problem. Do you REALLY believe the single iPhone catching fire was the same thing as this problem with the Galaxy 7? If so, will you please explain why Apple did not recall the iPhone and why the government did not step in and force airlines to ban them?

Of course ANY electronic device has the potential to catch fire. But there's a big difference between a systemic problem with a product's design and an isolated incident. So, yes, I'll continue to buy iPhones and NOT Samsung Galaxy phones. Why? Because one is generally considered to be SAFE and one is considered to be DANGEROUS. And when I say "generally considered", I mean not only by Apple and Samsung, but by the US government, the airline industry, the news media, and the general public.
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
Amacfa
34 months ago

iPhones have done the same. They've caught fire on airplanes in flight, something that never happened with the Samsung in question. Someone has even died from an iPhone fire in his bed, which again never happened with a Samsung.

Does that make you never want to buy an iPhone again? Of course not. If it didn't happen to them, people don't care that much.


When was the last time iPhones were banned on US flights?
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
coolfactor
34 months ago

This was still the best phone I ever owned. I was so disappointed when I had to turn it in and settle for an S7 edge. I mean the S7 edge is decent, but the Note 7 looked so good and the S pen was so nice.

Sad the battery issue happened because this was one of the nicest phones that was ever released. I'm still hoping for a Note 8 this year and hope they make it even better without the battery issue.


Best in what regard? I find Android to be a clunky, awkward mess, and how well does it manage data as you move from device-to-device-to-device, both during use and during an upgrade?

To me, information like my email, contacts and passwords are absolutely important to me, and I've successfully setup and upgraded several computers and iPhones over the past 12 years, and all of my data just seamlessly shows up on all devices, and they stay in sync. Minimal configuration. To me, that's a peace of mind that you just can't buy, and one that I'm not willing to sacrifice for anything. Does this same effortless experience exist on Android? And can you trust that the apps you're using have been vetted for hacks and exploits? To me, living in the Android world would just be far too risky and "messy". But that's my bias.
Rating: 11 Votes
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smacrumon
34 months ago
The Samsung bashing has began. And... That's just sad because facts are Apple have had MacBooks iPhones, adaptors, etc catch on fire, and so have other manufacturers. It's an industry problem based on poor quality standards and poor designs. Governments around the world should be imposing insanely great fines on companies that release devices that turn into smoke. It's not acceptable. Not in 2017.

Edit:
Further comment on replies - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/samsung-to-reveal-results-of-galaxy-note7-fire-investigation-later-this-month.2025258/page-6#post-24145904
Rating: 11 Votes
Avatar
justiny
34 months ago

The Samsung bashing has began. And... That's just sad because facts are Apple have had MacBooks iPhones, adaptors, etc catch on fire, and so have other manufacturers.


You can't be serious.

If any Apple iPhone model was bursting into flames, even if it was only a dozen units, the entire planet would slingshot itself into a cataclysmic end. People went batsh*t crazy and lost their minds with antenna-gate and bend-gate.

Apple wouldn't make it out of the national headlines for years.
Rating: 10 Votes
Avatar
macfacts
34 months ago

Best in what regard? I find Android to be a clunky, awkward mess, and how well does it manage data as you move from device-to-device-to-device, both during use and during an upgrade?

To me, information like my email, contacts and passwords are absolutely important to me, and I've successfully setup and upgraded several computers and iPhones over the past 12 years, and all of my data just seamlessly shows up on all devices, and they stay in sync. Minimal configuration. To me, that's a peace of mind that you just can't buy, and one that I'm not willing to sacrifice for anything. Does this same effortless experience exist on Android? And can you trust that the apps you're using have been vetted for hacks and exploits? To me, living in the Android world would just be far too risky and "messy". But that's my bias.


When I got the note 7, I was upgrading from a note 3. In the note 7 box was a USB cable that let me connect the two phones directly together without a PC. All I had to do was follow the on-screen instructions and everything was transferred over. No need to use any cloud apps.
Rating: 10 Votes

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