The Galaxy Note, the first true “phablet,” and one of the most passionately defended smartphones in the industry, is now its laughing stock. But Samsung isn’t giving up on this popular line, and the company’s mobile chief said it has full intentions of releasing a Galaxy Note 8, despite the catastrophic events that plagued its previous offering.
“I will bring back a better, safer, and very innovative Note 8,” D.J. Koh told CNET.
On Sunday night, the company revealed the results of its investigation into why the Note 7 started exploding, and explained how it plans to prevent it from happening again.
Samsung will now implement an eight-point battery safety check that includes X-ray imaging, random disassembly inspections, charge/discharge testing, and two weeks of continuous usage across a range of scenarios.
The phones will also undergo a durability test to determine what happens to the batteries when they are punctured, subjected to high temperatures, or overcharged.
The Korean giant is leaving no stone unturned. Employees in its four production sites will receive improved training programs on how to handle batteries from the component level to shipping out the product, and dedicated teams will now focus on each core component of the smartphone.
The company also plans to refresh its battery designs, the main cause of failures found in the first production run of the Note 7. Koh said the company will make sure there is more space around the battery to accommodate a new bracket design, which will protect the battery from physical force even when it is dropped.
Even though Samsung and independent research groups found no anomalies in the device’s software, the company will improve the software protection function that governs temperature, current, and charging duration.
Koh said Samsung will share the findings of its investigation in the hope of contributing toward improved battery safety standards for all companies: “We hope this case will serve as an opportunity to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries for the entire industry.”
The leading smartphone manufacturer’s next device is the successor to the heavy-hitting Galaxy S7, and it is poised to launch this spring. It will be the first phone released under the new inspection process, giving the world a good idea of how much trust consumers still have in the company.
