Yet another Samsung Galaxy Note 7, deemed safe to use by the manufacturer, has caught fire in Minnesota, USA. This is the second reported incident of a replacement Galaxy Note 7 exhibiting the same problems as those of original units.
Reports of a “safe” Galaxy Note 7 catching fire aboard a plane in Kentucky emerged a few days ago. It seems that it was not an isolated incident and newer Galaxy Note 7s also face the same issue as the devices they were sent out to replace.
The latest incident originates from Minnesota where a 13-year old Abby Zuis said she felt a “weird, burning sensation” while holding her Note 7 on Friday. The phone in question left similar burn marks as those seen on previous faulty devices by Samsung. The incident was so severe that the phone even melted off the plastic cover enclosing the device. The device was not connected to a charger or any other accessory at the time of the incident. Luis suffered a minor burn on her thumb due to the incident.
A Samsung representative, while speaking to The Verge said that:
“We want to reassure our customers that we take every report seriously and we are engaged with the Zuis family to ensure we are doing everything we can for them and their daughter. Customer safety remains our highest priority as we are investigating the matter.”
This statement is almost exactly the same as they released after each incident of a Note 7 exploding. This latest incident raises serious questions about Samsung’s seriousness in ensuring customer safety. These reports of replacement Galaxy Note 7s catching fire spontaneously show that Samsung failed to take proper measures and learned nothing from their earlier mistake of releasing a product without proper testing.
These incidents have, and will probably continue to damage the trust of customers in Samsung’s products. The impact of this debacle will not be limited to Note lineup alone, Samsung will now be put under the knife for all of their products. It cannot afford to make any more mistakes now. For the time being, It would perhaps be in the best interest of everyone to stop buying and selling Note 7 devices altogether. Instead of trying to save Note 7, Samsung should work on saving their reputation — something which is getting more and more difficult to retain with each passing day.
