Consumer electronics giant Samsung just released its latest update to its flagship product, the Galaxy Note 7, two weeks ago, as of the writing of this piece. The company has sold some 2.5 million units worldwide, and now, they are issuing a global recall order, and promising to replace all units that have been sold.
At issue is a critical flaw with the batteries in the new devices. While the exact nature of the problem is not yet known, using the new devices for an extended period has led to overheating to the point of melting, and/or outright exploding in some cases.
There’s never a good time for an event like this to occur, but Samsung was hoping to build on the success of its wildly popular release of the Galaxy S7 with strong sales of the new Note. With Apple soon to be releasing their latest update, Samsung’s position in the market is suddenly in jeopardy.
Replacing more than 2.5 million faulty units will be a monumental task, and a lot is going to depend on how swiftly the suddenly embattled company can move to correct the issue and satisfy their existing customers.
If they fail or falter in their response, the company could be in serious financial trouble. As it stands, the not inconsiderable expense of replacing that many devices will definitely have a negative impact on the company’s bottom line.
If you’ve recently purchased a new Note from Samsung, be sure to visit the company’s website for all the latest information on the replacement procedure. If you were planning to make a purchase in the coming weeks, you may want to look into other alternatives, or delay your purchase until the company gets the issue sorted out.
While this is hardly the first product recall we’ve seen from a major tech manufacturer, it is definitely one of the largest and most impactful in recent memory.
