November 22, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics on Jan. 23 pledged to enhance battery safety of its upcoming flagship Galaxy S8, saying it has learned a lot from the unprecedented recall of the ill-fated Note 7. 

The Korean tech giant blamed faulty batteries as the key cause of the fire-prone Note at a press conference held in Seoul. 

Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin

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“Samsung will use X-ray scanners to detect flaws in batteries and implement a tear-down process for selected devices,” Samsung’s mobile chief and President Koh Dong-jin said.

He added most of the new quality control measures announced on the day have already been applied to the entire design and manufacturing process for the S8 that is rumored to be unveiled in March.

“We will regain consumer trust through enhanced product quality and innovation,” he said.

As part of the toughened quality control measures, Samsung has launched a new team exclusively dedicated to designing key components and monitoring the entire production process.

Smartphone design and software will be upgraded to prevent both overcharging and overheating.

Samsung also hinted that it could share its renewed battery safety measures with rivals and related international organizations to improve smartphone and battery safety overall within the industry.

In its four-month long probe, Samsung conducted an extensive range of laboratory tests, utilizing more than 200,000 Note phones and some 30,000 batteries.

About 700 Samsung researchers and engineers participated in the probe. Some external experts, including UL, Exponent and TUV Rheinland, also conducted their own probe at the request of Samsung.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)