Category: note 7

Posted on

Samsung’s Note 7 Banned From All Flights, Even As Cargo

Samsung’s Note 7 Banned From All Flights, Even As Cargo

The Samsung Note 7 is no longer allowed on airplanes, even as cargo, as the phone is officially banned by the Department of Transportation.

Samsung recalled the fire-prone device and sent out replacements before they, too, reportedly caught fire, leading Samsung to end production. Being officially banned on all  flights in the United States represents the latest nightmare for Samsung caused by the faulty phone.

Here’s the official statement about the “emergency order”:

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), today announced it is issuing an emergency order to ban all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States. Individuals who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device may not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States. This prohibition includes all Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices. The phones also cannot be shipped as air cargo.  The ban will be effective on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at noon ET.

We still don’t know what effect this might have on Samsung’s relationship with Oculus, which controls the software that makes the high-quality Gear VR mobile platform possible. The Note 7 was positioned to be Samsung’s flagship VR-compatible phone heading into the critical holiday season, and developers may have hoped a great many more Gear VR owners would be buying software by the end of 2016. Instead, it is likely Google will get a boost to its Pixel phone and the Daydream View headset going into the holidays.

Samsung still sells other Gear VR-compatible phones, but those devices are older than the Note 7 and may not compete as well with the newly announced iPhone 7 or Pixel. Samsung has offered promotions in the past with the Gear VR offered free, and many Gear VR games are better with a gamepad. A bundle offering the Gear VR, gamepad and maybe even a few free games from Oculus would be a tempting offer for a Galaxy S6 or S7 come Black Friday. Obviously, it is going to be up to Oculus and Samsung to figure out how to lure buyers this holiday season with consumers thinking about phones which might explode.

 

Posted on

It’s Official: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Is Dead

It’s Official: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Is Dead

Samsung is officially canceling its recently released Galaxy Note 7 line of smartphones in the wake of severe safety concerns.

The Korean electronics manufacturer is halting all manufacturing and distribution of one of its flagship brands, multiple outlets report. The decision comes on the heels of reports that the batteries in the phones were overheating and causing fires, explosions and other significant risks to public health.

These issues were especially problematic for those traveling on airplanes and it became common in the last few weeks to hear flight attendants advise their passengers carrying a Note 7 to power down their devices completely.

Samsung tried to combat the growing issue with a simple recall program. All Note 7 owners, not just those that had noticed issues with their handsets, were advised to power down the device and ship it back to Samsung for a replacement. Then one of the actual replacement phones seems to have caught fire as well.

Faced with growing public outcry and damage to its brand, Samsung has reportedly decided to shutter the Note 7 line altogether rather than risk another failed recall.

The entire ordeal has been devastating financially to Samsung. The company reported earlier that the initial recall would cost them somewhere near $1 billion. The outright cancellation, however, is looking to be even more drastic. According to Bloomberg:

“Samsung Electronics shares fell 8 percent in Seoul Tuesday, wiping out about $17 billion of market value, before the Note 7 termination was announced. The stock dropped further in London trading after the news, sliding as much as 9.9 percent.”

Even for a consumer electronics giant like Samsung these are still highly significant numbers. Continued fallout is expected, especially at the executive level.

We have also reached out to Oculus, which partners with Samsung to produce the Gear VR headset powered by Samsung phones, to see if the company will provide any guidance to developers who have invested time creating for the Gear VR system. It was previously announced that Oculus was temporarily removing Note 7 support from the Gear VR in light of the safety issues. At this time no further comment has been issued.

Posted on

Samsung Suspends Production of Note 7 Phones After Continued Explosions

Samsung Suspends Production of Note 7 Phones After Continued Explosions

Samsung’s woes with the Note 7 never seem to end. Tonight, during the Presidential debate, the company announced that they have temporarily ceased production of the belabored phone.

The trouble began for the company back in September, when numerous reports surfaced that some of the company’s phones’ batteries were exploding, causing minor injuries in the process. This led to a worldwide recall of the phone, and a warning issued by Oculus to Gear VR owners to stop using the phone in their headsets. However, in the last week, further reports have surfaced that some of those replacement phones were continuing to have issues, including one that exploded on a plane.

This story is still developing. We will update it with any further details.