Samsung explains why the Galaxy Note 7 exploded – The Figaro

After several months of investigation, the Korean group makes its conclusions. The two generations of batteries used had design defects.

These are good batteries. After several months of technical investigation, the college of engineers of Samsung has made its conclusions. A defect in the design of the battery of the Galaxy Note 7 is at the origin of the explosions that have appeared in the media in August and September. The group also took the opportunity to apologize to its customers for “inconvenience caused”. Samsung has initiated a recall of “several million” terminals (the Korean has never disclosed the exact figure). Some 3.06 million Note 7 have been recalled, or 96% of the terminals sold. Samsung has spent 4.88 billion euros of exceptional charge to deal with this event.

One of the reasons for the explosion of Galaxy Note 7.

For his explanations, Samsung has gone from one extreme to the other. After having been conspicuously absent for several weeks last summer, he decided to shed light on the matter with force graphics and details. The shape of the electrode of the first generation of battery caused the first combustions. The top negative electrodes was curved it would have to be right – and, a phenomenon that is worsening, which is located in the top curve of the phone. The electrodes in the negative were therefore too close to the positive, creating overheating. The second generation of batteries, put into production after the first fire phones in the month of August, also had design flaws. The insulation layer was too thin (or even absent, in some phones) and the positive contact is too close to the negative.

Render careful, Samsung might shift the launch of its new smartphone, the Galaxy S8, which was expected to be on 26 February, on the occasion of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The group has put in place new quality control procedures. Eight new checks have been introduced, with tests of loading-unloading, disassembly, durability… The Korean has created a group board dedicated to the battery, consisting of academics and researchers from all walks of life (Cambridge, Berkeley, Stanford). With this new structure, he wants to improve the quality of its lithium-ion batteries and believes that its advanced “will benefit the entire industry”.

The annual results of Samsung, however, should not suffer from this mishap. From the beginning of the year and its press conference at ces in Las Vegas, the leaders of the group have suggested that the growth would be at the rendezvous. The sales of the Galaxy S7 have largely exceeded those of the S6, other divisions, especially the tv and the appliances, show a very good performance, not to mention the semi-conductors also on the rise. The group will unveil its annual results on January 24 morning, Paris time.