Is Galaxy Note 7 Fiasco Repeated?
An allegation was made that Samsung Electronics' strategic smartphone Galaxy Note 9 went up in flames spontaneously in the United States. While Samsung Electronics launched an investigation into the case, it is concerned that the case might become the beginning of another battery disaster like the Galaxy Note 7 fire fiasco in 2016.
According to foreign media reports on September 17, Diane Chung, a real estate agent in New York, filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court in Queens County, New York, claiming damages and an injunction against the sale of the Galaxy Note 9 in connection with a fire involving the Galaxy Note 9.
According to Chung, while using the Galaxy Note 9 in an elevator, the smartphone suddenly became hot so she put it into her bag. Then, Chung heard a whistle-like sound out of the bag and smoke came out of it. Chung tried to hold her smartphone with her hand but the heated-up smartphone burned her hand. It was reported that the fire was put out only after all things in her bag were thrown out of the bag and she put the smartphone into a bucket filled with water.
Chung is demanding both damages and the halt of the device’s sale, saying that she has been shocked by the accident and unable to contact her clients.
CBS reported that the lawsuit reminded of the nightmare of the Galaxy Note 7 that haunted Samsung Electronics two years ago. At the time, dozens of the Galaxy Note 7 ignited or exploded due to battery flaws, which compelled Samsung Electronics to discontinue the sale of the Galaxy Note 7.
The problem is that although Samsung Electronics expanded the battery capacity of the Galaxy Note 9 to 4,000mAh and was confident about its performance, a similar allegation surfaced. Samsung Electronics reduced the capacity of the Galaxy Note 8 battery to 3,300mAh after the Galaxy Note 7 with a 3,500mAh battery caught fire. But it increased the battery for the Galaxy Note 9. "The battery for the Galaxy Note 9 will be the safest battery ever," said Ko Dong-jin, head of the IM Division of Samsung Electronics at a press conference last month. "Customers do not need to worry about it anymore."
"Samsung Electronics is taking the safety of its customers seriously. We have not yet received another similar case. Now we are looking into the case," Samsung Electronics said in a statement.