Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 recall a lesson to all

Samsung has had a really good year this year. It started with the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge that introduced refinements to the already well-received Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Sales figures were off the charts and Samsung seemed well on its way to a winning streak in the last two consecutive years.

The recent introduction of the Galaxy Note7 was also well-received.  It was supposed to be an affirmation that Samsung remained the “King of Android” that can easily slug it out with the iPhone and  Apple’s massive cult-like following.

Then the unimagined happened. Barely weeks after the release of the Galaxy Note7, reports of devices exploding (more like bursting into flames) circulated in the media.

A couple of reports are usually treated as isolated cases. Every now and then, there have been reports of iPhones also bursting into flames. But this one was different. More reports came in and in less than a month, over 70 reported cases of Note7 exploding had been filed.

Airlines started banning the use of Note7 handsets in flights and more advisories were released. Eventually, Samsung admitted that there was some manufacturing defect in some of the batteries that were shipped with the Note7.

The last time I remember something similar to this would be the “Bumber Case Program” for the iPhone 4.

A battery defect is normal as it’s the most volatile part of a device. In another scenario, this could just have been a battery replacement program.

That would have been a minor hold-up but since the battery on the Note7 is non-removable, the entire phone had to be replaced.

The “antennagate” and the “bendgate” that hounded Apple a couple years back pales in comparison to what Samsung had to endure with the Galaxy Note7, much less the financial setback this type of recall is costing them. Reports estimate the recall would amount to about $1 billion for the 2.5 million devices shipped since the initial release.

It’s a hassle for many to have to return their units and wait for further instructions on when to get their replacement. Good thing Samsung also offered an option to either swap to a Galaxy S7 Edge plus change or completely get a refund. In all fairness, Samsung handled this one quite well.

If you got your Note7 from a carrier, the experience could range from easy as walking into a business center and leaving with a new one or as complicated as getting the runaround, depending on who you’re talking to.

Worse is if you got your unit from grey market sellers. Since they don’t normally offer full warranty for situations like this, chances are, you may end up getting the shorter end of the stick or nothing at all.

There’s a little bit of a lesson for all of us here – the potential problem of non-removable batteries, the handling of the crisis by the brand, and the potential risk of getting a more affordable device from grey market sellers.

Despite the setback, I think Samsung will eventually get through this and the Note7 will continue to be a bestseller.