Samsung had fully recalled the Galaxy Note 7, and halted its production and sales after more than 100 incidents of the phone catching fire. Despite the massive recall, there are hundreds of thousands of customers still actively using the Galaxy Note 7. After all, it was hailed as the best Android smartphone when it hit the store shelves. A new report from the research firm Apteligent says that the Note 7 is far from dead.
Moto Z has more users than Galaxy Note 7
The research firm said, despite being discontinued and recalled more than two months ago, the Galaxy Note 7 still has more active users than the LG V20 and OnePlus 3T combined. The Note 7 user base is only slightly smaller than the Moto Z. Apteligent added that other flagship smartphones such as Sony Xperia XZ and Google Pixel and Pixel XL that arrived around the same time as the Note 7 recall have managed to beat Samsung’s device in terms of the number of active users.
The stats from Apteligent highlight the fact that Samsung still has a monumental task ahead. The company has to recall the remaining devices at the earliest. According to Pulse News, the Korean electronics giant has recovered 90% of the Note 7 devices through exchange programs and refunds. Samsung has announced that it would disable the remaining Galaxy Note 7 in the US and other markets via a software update. The update would prevent its battery from charging.
Samsung concludes Galaxy Note 7 investigation
Samsung no longer sells the Note 7, so LG Electronics and OnePlus have little reason to be worried. But findings of Apteligent also mean that LG V20 sales have been largely disappointing. After recalling the device, Samsung had publicly apologized to its customers for the Note 7 debacle via full-page ads in leading US newspapers.
Last month, third-party experts blamed Samsung’s “aggressive design” for the Galaxy Note 7 explosions. They said the phone’s battery was too big for its slim design. The Korea Herald reported last week that Samsung has concluded the internal investigation into the Note 7. Though the company has not revealed what caused the phones to explode, it has reportedly shared the details with third-party labs including the Korea Testing Laboratory and UL.
Samsung to diversify its battery suppliers
Samsung had initially blamed faulty batteries supplied by its subsidiary Samsung SDI for the issue. But the company was left red-faced when supposedly safe replacement Galaxy Note 7 units featuring batteries from Amperex also began to catch fire. Samsung eventually killed the device.
Following the Note 7 debacle, Samsung is looking to diversify its battery supplier base. The company is in talks with LG Chem for batteries to be used in the Galaxy S8.
