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Samsung Pinpoints Galaxy Note7 Fires To Battery Design And Manufacturing Flaws

The Note 7 recall cost Samsung $5.3 billion.
AFP/Getty Images

Samsung today announced why many of its newly launched flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 2016 kept catching fire. In a press conference held in Seoul, Korea, DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, said that design and manufacturing defects in the phone batteries caused the fires.

In the wake of reports of the Note 7 phones catching fire, the Korean conglomerate and one of world's leading smartphone maker had to recall over 2.5 million units of the phone that it had shipped, before shutting production in October. The company is estimated to have lost $5.3 billion in the process.

According to Samsung, the first wave of Galaxy Note7 used a battery that had a design fault that resulted in the negative electrodes being "deflected" and often causing a spark.

Faced with defective batteries, Samsung switched to a second battery supplier but these batteries also had a manufacturing defect. The second set of batteries had an anomaly wherein, because of high welding pressure, their insulation tape broke. In some batteries, the insulation tape was missing altogether.

The two batches of batteries were supplied by Samsung SDI and Amperex Technologies respectively. Neither of them has commented on the matter.

Samsung

"For the last several months, together with independent industry expert organisations, we conducted thorough investigation to find cause to the Galaxy Note7 incidents." DJ Koh, President of Mobile and Communication Samsung, said. "Today, more than ever, we are committed to earning the trust of our customers through innovation that redefines what is possible in safety, and as a gateway to unlimited possibilities and incredible new experiences."

Samsung is going to announce its quarterly results on Tuesday.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.