Samsung Officially Terminates Production of Galaxy Note7
Just hours after Samsung Electronics declared that they would halt the production of Galaxy Note7, the company announced on Tuesday that it would permanently stop and end the production of the problematic device. The decision came after receiving further cases of smoking and battery fires from several countries around the world, even after the company replaced defective units.
In a regulatory filing, the company stated, "We decided to halt sales and production of the Note 7 devices over safety concerns regarding our customers."
The Korea Times reported that Samsung and mobile carriers in South Korea and overseas will officially stop sales and distribution of replacement devices for Note 7 devices. Samsung, together with regulatory bodies that include the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), are currently determining the exact cause of the fires.
The company also added that it will give a refund for the Note 7 until December 31 on the Korean market. Exchanging a Note7 smartphone with other Samsung models will entitle the person for a mobile gift certificate worth 30,000 won (US $26.73).
Samsung further stated, "Samsung Electronics is still conducting an in-depth investigation into a series of reports that replacement Note 7 devices are also catching fire, but we made the decision due to concerns over customer safety. Consumers with either an original or replacement Galaxy Note7 device should power down and stop using the device."
The controversy regarding the manufacturing defects of Note 7 devices was revealed after the global launch of the 5.7-inch handset on August 19. Since then, numerous Note 7 users said that their devices caught fire while being charged.
Recently, passengers of a U.S. flight evacuated the plane after a replacement Note 7 emitted smoke inside the plane. Major mobile carriers in the United States, AT&T and T-Mobile, halted sales of the device.
Elliott Kaye, the Chairman of CPSC said in a statement, "While we continue our active investigation into reports of phones overheating and catching fire, consumers should power down and stop using all Galaxy Note 7." Kaye also claimed that suspending the sales, distribution, and exchange of all units of Galaxy Note 7 was the right move.
