Samsung seems to be in a much deeper trouble than it imagined. The global recall of Galaxy Note 7 due to battery explosions is expected to cost the company billions of dollars. Samsung is replacing faulty Note 7 units in more than ten countries with new, “safe” ones. However, the Korean electronics giant had not recalled Galaxy Note 7s sold in China, saying that the phones sold in China were “safe” as they use a different battery than the phones sold in other parts of the world.
Galaxy Note 7 explodes, damages MacBook Pro
Now a Samsung customer in China has claimed that his brand new Galaxy Note 7 exploded while charging. The user, Hui Renjie, told CNN Money that he purchased the device over the weekend from JD.com. The explosion burned two of his fingers and damaged his MacBook Pro. A Samsung representative contacted him, offering to refund his money and compensate for the ruined MacBook if he turned in the phone for an autopsy.
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However, Hui Renjie refused to hand his phone over because he wanted Samsung to make an official statement about the issue. Hui sent a video of the damaged phone to AFP, which shows the screen cracked and smoke emanating from the device while it is still connected to the charger. Samsung said in a statement that it was “in contact with the customer and will conduct a thorough examination of the device in question once we receive it.”
Four cases of Galaxy Note 7 explosions in China so far
The case is yet to be officially verified. But it’s not the only report of the “safe” Galaxy Note 7s exploding in China. There have been at least four such cases this month. In one case, Samsung and its Chinese battery supplier Amperex Technology’s investigations revealed that the explosion was due to external heat. It wasn’t a hardware fault.
Samsung rushed the launch of Galaxy Note 7 to take on Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. However, more than 100 cases of Note 7 explosions have taken a toll on the Korean company’s smartphone business. It’s been more than three weeks since Samsung announced the recall. The company said earlier this week that it has recovered about 60% of faulty devices.
