- Jan 24, 2011
- 9,378
Samsung said some of the phones have a fault in the battery
In one of biggest global recalls of smartphones, Samsung Electronics Co. said it would replace Galaxy Note 7 devices because of reports of battery fires, dealing a blow to the company’s recovery efforts.
The company said it had halted sales of its Galaxy Note 7 phone after receiving reports from customers of batteries exploding during charging.
“It has been confirmed that it was a battery cell problem,” Koh Dong-jin, the head of Samsung’s handset division, said.
Samsung said it had shipped 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 since its launch on Aug. 19. Mr. Koh declined to comment on the estimated cost for the exchange program, but said that the amount is so big “it almost breaks my heart.”
The recall is also painful for Samsung because it tarnishes its image ahead of the introduction next week of Apple Inc.’s next-generation smartphones. Samsung has accelerated the launch of its new phones in recent years to get a head-start on Apple.
Samsung, the world’s biggest smartphone maker by shipments has been relying on its Galaxy phones to drive the recovery of its mobile business, which has been struggling for more than two years amid strong competition from Apple and Chinese rivals.
Strong sales of the smaller flagship Galaxy S7 phone had helped make the three months ended June Samsung’s most profitable quarter in nearly two years. At 16%, the company’s mobile profit margin was the highest since 2014.
Samsung said reservations and prepayments for the large-screen Galaxy Note 7 were higher than for previous Galaxy phones.
The official said Samsung had registered 35 cases of the problem in phones globally through its service centers and estimated that 24 phones in each batch of one million produced were faulty. Consumers can also get a full refund for the device, he said.
Read more: Samsung to Recall Galaxy Note 7 Smartphone Over Reports of Fires
In one of biggest global recalls of smartphones, Samsung Electronics Co. said it would replace Galaxy Note 7 devices because of reports of battery fires, dealing a blow to the company’s recovery efforts.
The company said it had halted sales of its Galaxy Note 7 phone after receiving reports from customers of batteries exploding during charging.
“It has been confirmed that it was a battery cell problem,” Koh Dong-jin, the head of Samsung’s handset division, said.
Samsung said it had shipped 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 since its launch on Aug. 19. Mr. Koh declined to comment on the estimated cost for the exchange program, but said that the amount is so big “it almost breaks my heart.”
The recall is also painful for Samsung because it tarnishes its image ahead of the introduction next week of Apple Inc.’s next-generation smartphones. Samsung has accelerated the launch of its new phones in recent years to get a head-start on Apple.
Samsung, the world’s biggest smartphone maker by shipments has been relying on its Galaxy phones to drive the recovery of its mobile business, which has been struggling for more than two years amid strong competition from Apple and Chinese rivals.
Strong sales of the smaller flagship Galaxy S7 phone had helped make the three months ended June Samsung’s most profitable quarter in nearly two years. At 16%, the company’s mobile profit margin was the highest since 2014.
Samsung said reservations and prepayments for the large-screen Galaxy Note 7 were higher than for previous Galaxy phones.
The official said Samsung had registered 35 cases of the problem in phones globally through its service centers and estimated that 24 phones in each batch of one million produced were faulty. Consumers can also get a full refund for the device, he said.
Read more: Samsung to Recall Galaxy Note 7 Smartphone Over Reports of Fires
