SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 7 RECALL - LESSONS LEARNED

Samsung had a really good year this year. It started with the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge that introduced further refinements to the already well-received Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+. Sales figures were off the charts and Samsung seems to be on a winning streak for the last 2 consecutive years.

The introduction of the Galaxy Note7 was also well-received. It was supposed to be an affirmation that Samsung remains to be the “King of Android” that can easily slug it out with the iPhone and Apple’s massive cult-like following.

Then the unimagined happened. Barely weeks after the release of the Galaxy Note7, reports of devices exploding (more like bursting into flames) were already circulating in the media.

A couple of reports might just be isolated cases. Every now and then, we’ve seen reports of iPhones also bursting to flames too. But this one was different. More reports came in and in less than a month, over 70 reported cases of Note7 exploding is hard to deny.


Airlines started banning the use of Note7 handsets in flights and more advisories were released. Eventually, Samsung admitted that there was some manufacturing defect in some of the batteries that were shipped with the Note7.

A battery defect is normal as it’s the most volatile part of a device. In another scenario, this could just have been a battery replacement program. The last time I remember something similar to this would be the “Bumper Case Program” for the iPhone 4.

That would have been a minor hold-up but since the battery on the Note7 is non-removable, the entire phone had to be replaced.

There is a little bit if lesson learned here.

1. The potential problem of non-removable batteries. Batteries are the most volatile part of the phone. By making them non-removable, it poses a bigger risk to users as reflected in recent incidents. Should we move back to removable batteries, then?

2. The handling of the crisis by the brand. Despite the very low incidence of exploding Note7, Samsung decided to do a recall of all 2.5 million devices. Safety before profit. Also, "They have not been very clear in their communications, in terms of what specifically is a problem, how it will be resolved and what's the time frame."

3. The potential risks of getting a more affordable device from grey market sellers. This is a classic case that separates “service warranty” vs. “manufacturer’s warranty”. You pay less for “service warranty” but you don’t get the same peace of mind if ever the device is defective.

Despite the setback, I think Samsung will eventually get thru this but I can't say about the Note7 flagship. Will it continue to be a best-seller? Or are we going to experience a fast switch to a Note 8.