(UPDATE: OCTOBER 11: Samsung has already halted sales and exchanges of Galaxy Note 7 units worldwide.)
When reports of a replacement Galaxy Note 7 catching fire on a Southwest Airlines flight came out, we took the wait-and-see approach until we get a confirmation. Now, there have been at least five incidents of deemed-safe units still having issues in the U.S. alone. The second case involved a 13-year-old girl, whose phone melted in her hand; the third, a guy who was hospitalized for acute bronchitis because he woke up to find his bedroom filled with smoke coming from his new Note 7; the fourth, a man whose mobile caught fire on his nightstand; and the fifth, a guy whose replacement phone caught fire while sitting on a table.
Replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on a Southwest Airlines flight, via CNET
That’s already one incident too many for something that explodes; it’s not an issue you can just set aside.
Major U.S. carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have already halted sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. We believe Philippine telcos Globe Telecom and Smart Communications should follow suit. But more importantly, it is Samsung that should announce that it is stopping sales of the device. The statement below is not enough. The Korean tech giant already had a pass the first time around; when supposedly safe Galaxy Note 7 units are still exploding — endangering people’s lives and properties — then it’s high time for the company to do what’s right. Maybe then, and only then, can it stop the bleeding of its market value and expenses. Maybe then, and only then, can it salvage its wrecked reputation. Maybe then, and only then, can it make people forgive them easily that they lap up Samsung’s next flagship device with little or no hesitation.
SAMSUNG STATEMENT ON REPLACEMENT GALAXY NOTE 7 DEVICES
Samsung understands the concern our carriers and consumers must be feeling after recent reports have raised questions about our newly released replacement Note 7 devices.
We continue to move quickly to investigate the reported case to determine the cause and will share findings as soon as possible.
We remain in close contact with the CPSC [Consumer Product Safety Commission] throughout this process.
If we conclude a safety issue exists, we will work with the CPSC to take immediate steps to address the situation.
We want to reassure our customers that we take every report seriously and we appreciate their patience as we work diligently through this process.
P.S. We reached out to Samsung Electronics Philippines, Globe, and Smart executives to get their statement on this burning matter, and we’re just waiting for their reply.
Part of the email we sent to Samsung Electronics Philippines. We emailed a slightly different version of this to Globe Telecom and Smart Communications executives.
Main image via The Verge
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