Samsung is due to reveal what went wrong with its Galaxy Note 7 on Monday January 23, 2017. The internet is awash with rumors generally fingering the battery as the culprit. The Wall Street Journal thinks the root cause was the battery sizes were irregular. This may have denied some batteries sufficient ‘sweat room’ to expand when in use, and especially when charging.
Recapping the Galaxy Note 7 Event Chain
Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7 on August 19, 2016 to rave reviews and exceptional demand. New features included more storage, improved water resistance, and a usb port. On September 2, 2016, the company suspended sales and recalled all stock sold. The reasons given were overheating batteries, fires, and explosions.
Then Samsung switched battery suppliers. It put pressure on the new one to reach full production because it needed new as well as replacement lithium batteries. These batteries also proved prone to overheating, fire and explosion. Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note 7 on October 11, 2016 and initiated a total recall with compensation.
The Likely Road Ahead for Samsung
The Galaxy Note 7 was an exceptionally fine product. It could have set Samsung on a new trajectory had it succeeded. Instead, the rush to get back to market to stave off Apple and Google may have cost it dearly. The financial loss amounted to $5.3 billion. The reputation loss may turn out more severe because being in denial in the early stages set the stage.
Talk on the street corners of the internet are Samsung will launch an upgrade program. This will be for original Galaxy Note 7 buyers who swapped their phones for a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. It will have to act responsibly by admitting was caused the fires and explosions. However it is unlikely to give much proprietary information to its competition.
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Preview Image: Galaxy Note 7
