Samsung’s issues with the Galaxy Note 7 phablet have just taken a turn for the worse. According to South Korean publication Yonhap News Agency the smartphone producer has temporarily halted the production of replacement handsets.
This decision comes after a number of replacement phones, which were deemed safe by the Korean company were reported to have caught fire and injured their owners in the process.
Just this weekend thirteen-year-old Abby Zuis burned her thumb while holding her replacement Galaxy Note 7 in hand. The phone started smoking without warning, but luckily the teenager was able to quickly drop the phone on the ground. The Note 7 melted through its protective case and showed burn markings and typical split body.
Another Note 7 replacement phone caused the evacuation of a Southwest Airlines flight after the device exploded in a passenger’s pocket.
The Galaxy Note 7 is a flagship phone which was released on the market in mid-August. It has been hailed as a worthy iPhone 7 competitor and considered an important part of Samsung’s strategy to regain top spot in the mobile market. However, it was soon discovered that the phone had a serious battery issue.
Samsung has been forced to issue the recall of 2.7 million Galaxy Note 7s over complaints of the phone emitting smoke and catching fire. So far, the Korean tech giant had been trying to manage the crisis by offering replacement devices, but at the moment it seems these new Galaxy Note 7 aren’t safe either.
Now Samsung has halted the production of these “improved” Galaxy Note 7 phablets, which seems to suggest the problem underlying the battery issue is far more complex than was initially thought.
Already three major US carriers, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have announced they stopped selling the infamous phablet and are now inviting Note 7 owners to exchange the phone for a different one. Interestingly enough, SK Telecom and other South Korean carriers haven’t done the same, but are said to be monitoring the situation closely.
Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed the information, but at this point, it does seem plausible the Korean tech giant will be issuing a second recall of the Note 7. This is an extremely rare occurrence in the mobile industry and will probably cost Samsung a lot in terms of reputation and credibility.
While one of the world’s biggest smartphone seller is struggling to handle the Note 7 situation at best it can, the competition is more competitive than ever. iPhone 7 sales are reportedly thriving and Google has just released its first premium smartphones- the Pixel and Pixel XL, so Note 7 refugees can be easily be swept away by the promise of a better handset.
[graphiq id=”fPUXISlRmqp” title=”Samsung Galaxy Note 7″ width=”600″ height=”727″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/fPUXISlRmqp” link=”http://smartphones.specout.com/l/5763/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-7″ link_text=”SpecOut | Graphiq” ]
