The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Explosion, Recalls and Cancellation; Everything You Need To Know!

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Samsung’sGalaxy Note 7 was all over the internet when it was launched in August of this year. Unknown to its users, the device also came with an additional feature; the ability to explode and burst into flames, unfortunately. I don’t know how many of those reports came from Kenya, but after complaints had been raised all over the world, the Korean smartphone manufacturer issued a recall with the option of a refund or replacement. That was after a series of thorough investigations. Saying that Samsung has had a couple of rough months is an understatement, few weeks after, there were reports that Samsung’s replacement Note 7s were also catching fire, tough! Eventually, the company was forced to recall all Note 7s from consumers after the reports of the replacements catching fire too. Reports indicate that the company has also halted the production of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 completely. 

Samsung’s Explanation on the Exploding Batteries

Though the company never really explained what exactly is causing its Note 7 batteries to explode, they have been fairly open throughout the exploding Note 7s drama. According to Samsung, the phones caught fire when anode-to-cathode came into contact with the battery cell causing overheating which subsequently caused the battery to explode in a very rare manufacturing error. So the company claims that the problem is with the battery, not the device itself. The explanation is not good enough, but we can all deduce that if the anode and the cathode come into contact, there is going to be and explosion. What the company failed to clarify is the responsible company. Samsung outsources the manufacture of its devices batteries to several companies to keep up with the market demand.

Rushed Innovation?

Featuring an enormous battery with fast-charge technology, an impressive camera, powerful performance and a high-tech iris scanner, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be one of the most impressive smartphones on the market at the moment. Price in Kenya was around KES 90000. Samsung wanted an innovative product in the galaxy note 7 but rushed the production to undercut their competitors, Apple. Samsung wanted to ensure that the device was available on the market before Apple launched their 5.5-inch IPhone 7 Plus. Samsung overlooked robustness checks with this device and prioritised speed-to-market to launch the product before iPhone 7 Plus, with all those curved contours and a super slim battery. This also explains why they went from Note 5 directly to Note 7. The company could have avoided all this if only they’d have been patient and just launch the Note 6. Such radical innovations require a lot of time to create and even more to test; the company ought to have known this.

Kill the Note Brand

The biggest headache for the company right now is containing the damage caused by the galaxy note 7 and making sure that it does not trickle down to other products. This particular device is not the end-all, be-all Samsung product but the company needs to take action, like make an ad explaining the situation (which could go wrong in so many ways, but there not so many elegant solutions to such circumstances) to assure their customers that their handsets are safe.

Experts say that it is time for Samsung to kill the Note brand entirely and come up with something else. The galaxy note name is without a doubt tarnished beyond repair which is not good for the company. The note is, of course, very important to the company. It is the device that the company outfits with the latest technology before it is rolled out to their major flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S series.

Needless to say that the Galaxy Note 7 was meant to go toe to toe with Apple’s IPhone 7 Plus and has turned out to be Samsung’s second most important mobile product after its flagship Galaxy S series. The galaxy note was the first big screen device to go on sale when it launched on 2011.

So Who Stands to Win in the Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 Debacle?

Well, Samsung has lost quite a lot from this saga but who will take advantage of the situation and make money from this unfortunate incidence? Apple? That’s pretty easy, right? Maybe. I mean, Apple is the only company that can directly compete with Samsung in the smartphone-making business. With the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 officially out of the picture, its users might decide to ditch android for IOS entirely.

But then there is Google, the recent launch of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL; the company clearly sent a message that they are not messing around. Google owns Android it’s no secret that their devices will have better features. The timing could never be better. Should more Samsung users decide to leave, their most likely destination could as well be Google.

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