4 ms·

Replacement Galaxy Note 7s keep exploding–we're now up to five cases

26 points by fabian2k 10y ago

mixedCase 10y ago
Can someone explain to me how can Samsung fuck up this bad after decades in the consumer electronics business and years as the market leader for smartphones? Is it just plain old greed cutting a particular corner or is this a more complex science that I'm taking for granted?
- hga 10y ago
  If it's hubris, which I think is fairly likely, your question contains its answer: after decades in the consumer electronics business and years as the market leader for smartphones?
- hocuspocus 10y ago
  The bill of materials of a Samsung flagship phone is actually relatively high. If it turns out to be simple physics, Samsung having pushed the battery-capacity-to-phone-size ratio a bit too far, this would be your classic case of a giant company putting so much pressure on its suppliers that they end up committing to the impossible. Apple ran GTAT into bankruptcy the same way.
- Analemma_ 10y ago
  My guess is it has the same root cause as this Wells Fargo debacle: clueless executives give drones impossible goals accompanied by threats; drones cut corners to meet those impossible goals and keep their jobs.
xwvvvvwx 10y ago
I wouldn't want to be working in quality control at Samsung right now....
MrFoof 10y ago
The PR response thus far from Samsung is baffling to me. Samsung's worry at this point should not their phones catching fire, but their brand's reputation. The textbook example (literally, books have been written about it) on how to handle a case like this is The Tylenol Crisis[1] -- when Tylenol bottles on the shelves were removed, laced with cyanide, then put back on the shelves (killing seven). The perpetrator(s) has never been caught. For those that don't remember... * Johnson & Johnson recalled 100% of US inventory and had it destroyed. 31 million bottles, $100M (in 1982 dollars) loss. * Tylenol was put back on the shelves with newly developed triple-seal tamper resistant packaging. * Johnson & Johnsonl also issued coupons for a $2.50 discount, available in newspapers and by calling a toll-free telephone number. * Johnson & Johnson also unleashed a massive marketing campaign aimed directly at the medical community, and had over 2000 sales people going out and making presentations on how they've tried to make this kind of tampering near impossible to go undetected again. [1]http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurders/crisis.html http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurde...
memracom 10y ago
Exactly what is the problem with these batteries? Who is responsible, i.e.is there a 3rd party battery manufacturer involved? How do I know other Samsung devices don't also have exploding batteries? How do I know that the battery problem is isolated to only Samsung products? What if this is a bigger more widespread problem that hasn't shown up yet because it is affecting other new Samsung products and newer products from other manufacturers? What on earth is going on here? Could the airlines be at fault somehow? Did they install faulty microwave ovens that are causing the batteries to explode. What on earth is really going on here? This is not a Samsung issue any more. It is a global air transport safety issue as well as a global product safety issue. Samsung has no right to resolve this problem in private. The people must be informed about all the facts. Would you fly anywhere on any airline before this problem is completely resolved?

26 points by fabian2k 10y ago

Can someone explain to me how can Samsung fuck up this bad after decades in the consumer electronics business and years as the market leader for smartphones? Is it just plain old greed cutting a particular corner or is this a more complex science that I'm taking for granted?

hga 10y ago
If it's hubris, which I think is fairly likely, your question contains its answer: after decades in the consumer electronics business and years as the market leader for smartphones?
hocuspocus 10y ago
The bill of materials of a Samsung flagship phone is actually relatively high. If it turns out to be simple physics, Samsung having pushed the battery-capacity-to-phone-size ratio a bit too far, this would be your classic case of a giant company putting so much pressure on its suppliers that they end up committing to the impossible. Apple ran GTAT into bankruptcy the same way.
Analemma_ 10y ago
My guess is it has the same root cause as this Wells Fargo debacle: clueless executives give drones impossible goals accompanied by threats; drones cut corners to meet those impossible goals and keep their jobs.

xwvvvvwx 10y ago

I wouldn't want to be working in quality control at Samsung right now....

MrFoof 10y ago

The PR response thus far from Samsung is baffling to me. Samsung's worry at this point should not their phones catching fire, but their brand's reputation. The textbook example (literally, books have been written about it) on how to handle a case like this is The Tylenol Crisis[1] -- when Tylenol bottles on the shelves were removed, laced with cyanide, then put back on the shelves (killing seven). The perpetrator(s) has never been caught. For those that don't remember... * Johnson & Johnson recalled 100% of US inventory and had it destroyed. 31 million bottles, $100M (in 1982 dollars) loss. * Tylenol was put back on the shelves with newly developed triple-seal tamper resistant packaging. * Johnson & Johnsonl also issued coupons for a $2.50 discount, available in newspapers and by calling a toll-free telephone number. * Johnson & Johnson also unleashed a massive marketing campaign aimed directly at the medical community, and had over 2000 sales people going out and making presentations on how they've tried to make this kind of tampering near impossible to go undetected again. [1]http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurders/crisis.html http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurde...

memracom 10y ago

Exactly what is the problem with these batteries? Who is responsible, i.e.is there a 3rd party battery manufacturer involved? How do I know other Samsung devices don't also have exploding batteries? How do I know that the battery problem is isolated to only Samsung products? What if this is a bigger more widespread problem that hasn't shown up yet because it is affecting other new Samsung products and newer products from other manufacturers? What on earth is going on here? Could the airlines be at fault somehow? Did they install faulty microwave ovens that are causing the batteries to explode. What on earth is really going on here? This is not a Samsung issue any more. It is a global air transport safety issue as well as a global product safety issue. Samsung has no right to resolve this problem in private. The people must be informed about all the facts. Would you fly anywhere on any airline before this problem is completely resolved?