November 22, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' mobile chief Koh Dong-jin on Jan. 23 shared details of the company’s probe results into the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7. The Korean tech giant blamed faulty batteries as the cause of the phone’s overheating and explosions. 

Here are answers to some key questions during a press conference held at the Seoul headquarters.

Q: The Galaxy Note 7 featured one of the biggest battery capacities at 3,500mAh. Is there any connection between the enhanced battery density and the phone’s explosions?

A: We have found no direct connection. The battery size was the same between those produced by Samsung SDI and ALT. The difference was design. Some manufacturing and design defects were found in the batteries.

Q: Do you have plans to take legal action against battery makers?

A: No. About 1,000 components are used for our flagship models like the Note 7. Despite huge financial losses, we are still partners and will continue to work together. As a set maker, the ultimate responsibility for safety and product quality is ours.

Q: ATL supplies batteries for Apple’s iPhone. Is there any possibility that the iPhone has similar batteries problems?

A: Batteries are designed differently for different phones even though they have the same energy density. Each phone undergoes its own design and manufacturing process. ATL is one of the leading lithium-ion battery makers. We wouldn’t comment on our competition here.

Q: Did you rush to launch the Note earlier than the iPhone?

A: We advanced the launch date by 10 days compared to its predecessor. I wouldn’t call it a rush. There were some news reports that Samsung SDI had been pressured to beef up production. But it is one of the leading battery makers producing billions of batteries every year. When we issued the first recall, they had already starting shipping for the Chinese market.

Q: Tell us about the Galaxy S8 launch.

A: We are still gauging the unveiling schedule. I can confirm that we will not unveil the phone at the World Mobile Congress in February. We will adopt several corrective actions, including a multi-layer safety measures protocol at the product planning stage and an 8-Point Battery Safety Check, for the S8. We will regain consumer trust through enhanced product quality and innovation.

Q: Your probe ended just recently. How can you ensure the battery safety of the S8 that will be launched in the next few months?

A: We started adapting to our findings since late October. We tentatively concluded our own probe in late November, while the analysis by the third-party organization was completed early this month. Three to four months can be seen as a short period but I’m sure all the Samsung employees have poured all-out efforts for the upcoming S8.

By Lee Ji-yoon and Kim Young-won
(jylee@heraldcorp.com) (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)