Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Android
    • Android
    • Blogs
    • First Read

    Samsung’s Note7 Smartphone Fire Fiasco Must Be Resolved Now

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    October 10, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Note7

      Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy Note7 smartphone remains in the crosshairs of a worried market as new reports are coming in that the replacement phones are experiencing battery fires and explosions like the ones that caused a global recall in September.

      Samsung addressed the initial reports in late August by investigating the devices that had fires and starting its own global recall, and then in September cooperated with U.S. regulators at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) when the agency issued a government recall of a million of the handsets due to at least 100 reports of fires and explosions from consumers.

      But still, after all of that, the problems continue. Since late September, reports have come in from a consumer in China who said that his brand-new, post-recall Note7 smoked and caught fire, while earlier in October another replacement Note7 reportedly began smoking in a Southwest Airlines jet in Texas as the aircraft prepared to depart.

      Now the company has reportedly halted production of the replacement phones, at least temporarily, as it tries to figure out what is happening with a smartphone model that was supposed to show off its brand and capture millions of sales for satisfied users. Instead, the Note7 starts and stops at this point are at best delaying sales and at worst turning off customers to the phone model, and possibly to Samsung handsets overall into the future.

      I first saw the Note7 in New York in August at a special “Galaxy Unpacked” event where company officials were excited to show off the new phone and its improved stylus, its brilliant screen, its powerful cameras and its built-in enterprise security features. After seeing and handling the Note7, I was excited to get one of the handsets for a test drive after finding that the stylus had the potential to be a must-have feature for enterprise and consumer users who want to get the most out of their smartphones.

      So far, though, I haven’t been able to get a Note7 for a review, due to the initial battery fire problems and the ensuing recall.

      Samsung has a mixed record on how it has handled the Note7 problems. At first, by issuing its own recall to start, it acted decisively, but it might have been confusing for consumers because that effort was followed by the CPSC’s official recall.

      At the same time, Samsung has not reacted swiftly enough with updates about the status of the phones as more reports of problems have come in. In my mind, more openness is needed from the company about what it is doing right now in response to the new round of problems with the replacement handsets.

      The question now becomes, can Samsung fix the problem permanently before the Note7 is relegated to history as a smartphone model that crashed and burned after its launch?

      I still look forward to reviewing this innovative smartphone once it is fixed. But if Samsung doesn’t solve this massive problem quickly, that may not be possible.

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×