The last few weeks have not been good to Samsung, as the company experienced a full 180-degree turn following the release of the Galaxy Note 7. From the high expectations to the actual unveiling, to the necessary recall, the Korean tech giant has seemingly been through the best and worst situations. Reports now indicate that it is the company's ambition that ultimately led to the unit's complete demise.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung executives were torn when initial reports claimed that the Galaxy Note 7 units were exploding. While some individuals doubted just how grave the issue would become, there were those that had the foresight to act swiftly. As the world now knows, the company decided to recall and replace the initially released units.
At that time, the company could have been applauded for taking charge of the situation. The Galaxy Note 7 was still riding on great reviews and stellar specs, which made it one of the most sought after devices in the market. Even then, it was being called the best smartphone of 2016 - even with months still left in the year.
Then when the new and "safer" units were released, the tech world rejoiced at the second opportunity to hold the Note 7 in its hands. But almost as quickly as they were released, individuals again claimed that the units were exploding. In an attempt to decrease further backlash, Samsung decided to just discontinue the series. It was almost like being handed candy and then having it yanked away.
Now, as The Verge notes, it is finally unveiled exactly why the units were exploding. After some tests and observations, it was revealed that the battery on the Note 7, which was manufactured by Samsung SDI Co., had a protrusion that other smartphone batteries did not have. This is not a definitive answer, but it is the only current anomaly.
However, the real trouble was that Samsung did not conduct a thorough investigation after its first recall. When the announcement was made in September, US regulators were caught by surprise. The body that oversees product recalls in the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, normally helps in these cases. However, Samsung opted for the fast-track resolution.
In this case, Samsung was allowed to remove the risky devices from the market, but without the help of the CPSC in terms of determining what the product actually was. In hindsight, it was the company's rush to fix a problem that blinded it from seeing a proper solution. Though it cannot be confirmed anymore, it can be argued that if the Korean tech giant slowed down, that the public could be holding safe Note 7 units.
There is, however, still the future to look forward to, as the public has definitely not seen the last of Samsung though it will no longer see the Galaxy Note 7 in stores. "We recognized that we did not correctly identify the issue the first time and remain committed to finding the root cause," a spokesperson of the company admitted. "Our top priority remains the safety of our customers."
