Good ideas have a habit of spreading quickly. Such was the case of Samsung's promising Galaxy Note 7.
And then the batteries started blowing up.
It's been nothing but a cycle of embarrassment and horror for Samsung and the many who purchased the Note 7 since the device's Aug. 19 release. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that more than 92 Note 7 units have overheated and caught fire. More than 26 have caused severe burns, while more than 50 have caused property damage. Stories of blazing jeeps, garage fires, and more will be following Samsung around for quite some time now, despite the fact that the Note 7 is the most technologically superior phone the company has ever produced.
For all the potential the smart phone held in its new shatterproof and water resistant body, the calamitous tales of exploding Note 7s from around the world were enough to eclipse its functionality in a literal ball of fire. Samsung has since made the decision to recall all Galaxy Note 7 devices, even after attempting to replace them with "safe" models where the battery light is green (as opposed to the much more dangerous white), or other phones.
While most major smartphone manufacturers call on a third-party laboratory to test batteries, Samsung performed all Note 7 battery tests in-house, leaving them little excuse for the massive failure. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, "To sell smartphones at major U.S. carriers, phone makers are required to test phone batteries at one of the 28 labs certified by the U.S. wireless industry’s trade group, the CTIA, to ensure compliance with standards set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Samsung is the only such manufacturer using in-house battery-testing facilities for CTIA certification, according to the association."
The Note 7 recall affects all such devices, no matter how brave or foolish someone may be. Samsung intends to delete the device from the face of the planet. There's no reason to believe a refurbishing or battery replacement will make up for the damages the device has already caused, and Samsung is finally being forced to admit that fact.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 is dead and buried, and it's unknown if Samsung will even look to continue the Note line after the well has not only been poisoned, but blown up. Millions of Samsung customers are now flocking to the Apple iPhone 7, LG G5, and Google Pixel for safety. There remain a select few who have held onto their Note 7s, and while that's an incredibly dangerous way to live your life, there's no denying the lure of its functionality. Luckily, some of the best Note 7 features (those that don't require a stylus) have even been extended to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
According to BGR, "the S7 and S7 edge both feature class-leading Super AMOLED displays similar to the one on the Note 7, so they can take advantage of these enhancements without any material impact on battery life."
Samsung is offering $100 credit towards another Galaxy device if you have purchased the Note 7 in an effort to recall the most-likely dangerous devices. If you would like to return your Note 7, contact your wireless carrier, place of purchase or Samsung toll-free at 844-365-6197 anytime, or visit http://www.samsung.com to begin the return process.
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