New Galaxy Note 7 fire raises worries Samsung didn't fix battery problems

Posted:
in General Discussion
A Chinese man's Galaxy Note 7 reportedly exploded on Monday morning, potentially signalling that batteries in newer versions of the phone still pose a risk.



The incident happened less than 24 hours after getting the phone delivered from JD.com, victim Hui Renjie told Bloomberg Quint. It's said to have caused minor injuries to two of his fingers, and burned a MacBook.

A Samsung represenative allegedly visited the man in person and asked to take the phone, but Hui refused, as he didn't trust Samsung to expose the reason for the fire. He's now trying to publicize the matter.

In an email to Bloomberg, Samsung said it was "currently contacting the customer" and planning to "conduct a thorough examination of the device in question once we receive it."

Although initial reviews of the Note 7 were positive, shortly after its August launch a growing number of customers encountered battery fires. The situation escalated to the point that Samsung ordered a sales halt and a global recall, with promises that new units would solve the fire threat.

China was mostly excluded from the recall, as Samsung said that Note 7s sold there were already equipped with batteries that shouldn't overheat. Two Chinese phones did catch on fire earlier this month, but Samsung claimed the units had been exposed to external heat and the batteries weren't to blame.

The Note 7 recall is already expected to cost Samsung between $1 billion and $2 billion, and would only get more expensive if more units were included.

Bloomberg recently claimed that Samsung rushed the phone to market to beat Apple's iPhone 7, working on rumors that the device wouldn't have any major upgrades. Samsung is said to have pushed suppliers into meeting tighter deadlines, despite also pursuing major feature advancements.
lolliver
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 60
    There's a good possibility also that customers were using fast chargers that continued past the safety point, but I'm satisfied if it all results in more bad press for Samsung, the criminals.
    igorskymagman1979wlymjcdinkinselectrotechmobiuslolliverbaconstangwatto_cobra[Deleted User]
  • Reply 2 of 60
    I wonder why the Note 7 is having so many problems with this when their earlier S7 Edge is nearly identical, has an even bigger battery, and doesn't experience these issues. What a fiasco the Note 7 has been.
    edited September 2016 electrotechbaconstangbadmonk
  • Reply 3 of 60
    sog35 said:
    Why isnt the Verge, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Forbes, CNET, ect picking up this story?

    So friken obvious these a-holes are trying their best to keep this quiet.

    Crazy that Samsung just excused the past half dozen Note7 fires in China as having nothing to do with the Note7. Right......

    Because its not Apple. If there were happening to any model of the iPhone it would be everywhere all day long for weeks on end. But, because its Samsung its not a story because Samsung isn't as big as Apple. Its like every media outlet wants Apple to fail because thats a story they can string on for weeks and get attention. Apple will always get more attention (positive or negative) than Samsung ever will. 
    albegarcjahbladeanton zuykovmagman1979wlymelectrotechmwhitemobiuslolliverkevin kee
  • Reply 4 of 60
    I normally have to test Android devices for work as we support Samsung as an option. The wireless charging was overrated. For starters, it was slower than a direct charge from the wall. Secondly, it did make the phone HOT. So hot in fact that the Samsung wireless chargers actually have a fan in them to keep the phone cool. Heat is also obvious when playing certain games.
    jbdragonDan AndersenDeelronanton zuykovwlymelectrotechpscooter63matrix077mobiuslolliver
  • Reply 5 of 60
    There's a good possibility also that customers were using fast chargers that continued past the safety point, but I'm satisfied if it all results in more bad press for Samsung, the criminals.
    It's the phone that controls the current, not the charger.
    linkmanpscooter63
  • Reply 6 of 60
    sog35 said:
    Why isnt the Verge, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Forbes, CNET, ect picking up this story?

    So friken obvious these a-holes are trying their best to keep this quiet.

    Crazy that Samsung just excused the past half dozen Note7 fires in China as having nothing to do with the Note7. Right......
    maybe they are waiting for a confirmed pattern... some[most] news organizations won't source another news orgs article if it's a single source whose motivations to contact the newssite are in question...

    "Hey Gizmodo... I got a picture of a replacment Samsung 7 that blew up in my pocket"
    "who is this?"
    "Well I'm Phil Schill...  errr... I'm Phyllis Shillsmeister...  It's a really bad blow up... I want people to know how bad this is...."


    singularitywlymnetmagedasanman69
  • Reply 7 of 60
    Well that's one thing they didn't copy.
    magman1979perkedelmatrix077lolliverbaconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 60
    I normally have to test Android devices for work as we support Samsung as an option. The wireless charging was overrated. For starters, it was slower than a direct charge from the wall. Secondly, it did make the phone HOT. So hot in fact that the Samsung wireless chargers actually have a fan in them to keep the phone cool. Heat is also obvious when playing certain games.
    It's well-known that wireless charging is slower. It's more of a trickle-charge and gimmick feature to get attention, not of much practical use beyond not having to carry around a charger and cable (which is a plus). Wireless charging will mature and become mainstream when Apple releases their version of wireless power (not just for charging).

    As for the phone getting hot, that happens to most devices (of any brand) under heavy load, particularly graphics-heavy apps.

    To me, Windows and Android have always felt "dirty", but that's likely my bias. I've always felt that the programming used on those platforms was yucky and less efficient than a typical Mac or iOS app, but that' just me and my desire to see it that way.
    gatorguyronnmobiuswatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 60
    sog35 said:
    macxpress said:
    sog35 said:
    Why isnt the Verge, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Forbes, CNET, ect picking up this story?

    So friken obvious these a-holes are trying their best to keep this quiet.

    Crazy that Samsung just excused the past half dozen Note7 fires in China as having nothing to do with the Note7. Right......

    Because its not Apple. If there were happening to any model of the iPhone it would be everywhere all day long for weeks on end. But, because its Samsung its not a story because Samsung isn't as big as Apple. Its like every media outlet wants Apple to fail because thats a story they can string on for weeks and get attention. Apple will always get more attention (positive or negative) than Samsung ever will. 
    This would make sense except that these same publications and media outlets praise Samsung products to no end. 

    If Samsung really didn't matter they would not produce all these puff pieces of how awesome Samsung is.

    I think the answer is obvious.  $$$$$$$  Samsung gives these publications a ton of advertising revenue
     Yes because like I said they want Apple to fail. Its a HUGE story if they start to falter. I'm sure Samsung may have something to do with this as well. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 60
    Steve Jobs would be bathing in the karma right now.
    anton zuykovwatto_cobrarobertwalterkudu
  • Reply 11 of 60
    I wonder why the Note 7 is having so many problems with this when their earlier S7 Edge is nearly identical, has an even bigger battery, and doesn't experience these issues. What a fiasco the Note 7 has been.
    I'm not an electronics engineer, not even close, but bigger battery means less dense packaging of the battery's components means less thermal stress?
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 12 of 60
    Yeah, it was just a matter of time before an idiot tries to charge the banned phone on a plane...despite the warning....

    oops, too late
    http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37454436
    edited September 2016 magman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 60
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    This issue may indeed wind up costing Samsung its reputation which is much more valuable to the company than any dollar amount it spends replacing the defective phones. But I also know that if this were Apple the pitchforks, hot tar and feathers would be headed toward Cupertino. Lawyers would be lining up at court houses all over the country. It would make the Salem witch trials look like a Girl Scout camping trip by comparison. 
    anton zuykovmagman1979ronnbrucemcmwhitewatto_cobrabadmonkpalomine
  • Reply 14 of 60
    lkrupp said:
    This issue may indeed wind up costing Samsung its reputation
    Then you haven't seen YT comments with 100+ thumb ups, saying they he/she will get that note 7 anyway and he/she doesn't care about bad engineering.
  • Reply 15 of 60
    Yeah, it was just a matter of time before an idiot tries to charge the banned phone on a plane...despite the warning....

    oops, too late
    http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37454436
    And in that video, it was a Note 2 that caught fire, while in the overhead luggage compartment!!!

    How long until there is a sweeping ban on ALL Samsung devices on ALL flights around the world?

    Personally, now when I see people with Scamsung devices, I tell them to get away from me...
    mobiusanton zuykovlolliverwatto_cobra[Deleted User]
  • Reply 16 of 60
    Maybe?
    magman1979anton zuykovwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 60
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    magman1979 said:

    How long until there is a sweeping ban on ALL Samsung devices on ALL flights around the world?
    As a frequent flyer this worries me a lot, but how do the airlines enforce a ban? No one is going to convince a Samsung owner to voluntarily comply. That is just not their mindset, damn the other 200 passengers on the plane.
    edited September 2016 magman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 60
    RezRez Posts: 19member
    Come on now, that is still worth Barbeque coal starter....
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 60
    It's interesting Samsung SDI indicated they did not believe the Note 7 issues were not battery related but circuit design related. Might be true 
  • Reply 20 of 60
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    sog35 said:

    Their phones should be powered down and left with [thier] check in baggage. If not, then get another phone. 
    That is an unknown, if a powered down Samsung phone is any less dangerous. At least if it is in the overhead bin and starts to smoke, they can dowse it with water. In the cargo section it cannot be accessed if it catches on fire. That could be a lot worse.


    magman1979singularityduervololliverwatto_cobranetmagepalomine
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