Share

Samsung halts Note 7 output amid reports of new fires - source

Seoul - Samsung halted output of Note 7 smartphones as carriers stopped selling them, the latest blow in a six-week crisis triggered by a battery defect.

Samsung has temporarily suspended production of its most expensive phone, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Monday, asking not to be identified because the decision hasn’t been made public. The move came after T-Mobile and Telstra stopped selling Note 7s following reports of problems with devices thought to be safe. Samsung shares fell as much as 4.6% in Seoul.

Phones given out as replacements and models using a different battery have been reported as overheating and catching fire, fuelling concerns that Samsung hasn’t solved the problem that led to its initial recall of 2.5 million units. The Korean company has been engulfed in controversy since the device hit the market two months ago and customers began posting videos of charred and damaged handsets.

“It’s an ongoing nightmare,” said Bryan Ma, vice president of devices research for IDC. “You would have hoped that they could have gotten past this already and moved on. Clearly, it keeps coming back.”

AT&T halted sales of the device in the US over safety concerns. “Based on recent reports, we’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents,”  AT&T spokesperson Fletcher Cook said in an e-mailed statement on Sunday.

Suwon-based Samsung said it will take immediate steps approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission if it finds a safety issue exists.

The production suspension raises questions about Samsung’s original investigation into the battery problems. The company said the issue stemmed from one supplier, which it had stopped using.

AT&T is the third-biggest customer of the South Korean company while T-Mobile’s parent is No. 4, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sprint said its exchange policy is unchanged while Verizon Communications said the phone is out of stock at its stores.

Telstra, Australia’s biggest phone company, is offering alternative phones to customers as Samsung investigates the issue.


A man holds a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 during a launch event for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, August 2, 2016 in New York City.  (Photo: AFP)

Break-up of complex Samsung empire

The latest imbroglio coincides with mounting pressure from investor Paul Elliott Singer, who this month advocated a break-up of the complex Samsung empire. Singer’s Elliott Management Corporation - through affiliates Blake Capital and Potter Capital - proposed that Samsung separate into an operating company and a holding company, dual-list the former on a US exchange, pay shareholders a special dividend of 30 trillion Korean won ($27bn) and improve governance by adding three independent board members.

Ma at IDC said the production halt will deal another blow to a smartphone that had won strong reviews when it first came out in August.

“They’ve invested so much in the product, which was supposed to be the product that helps turn the company around,” Ma said. “To their credit, it was doing really, really well. That’s why it’s such a shame it has developed the way it has.”

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.93
+0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders