Samsung News and Updates

[ahojunk]

This battery fiasco has cost Samsung lots of money.

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Samsung heir tightens grip, shares tumble on recall
Cho Chung-un, Song Su-hyun | The Korea Herald/ANN | Tuesday, Sep 13, 2016

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and the heir apparent of Samsung Group, was named as a registered boardroom member, the company said Monday, signaling him moving one step closer to the throne.

The decision was made during a board meeting earlier in the day, Samsung said in a statement, calling it a decision that would have him more responsible for the management of the nation's largest conglomerate. Registered boardroom members at firms are obliged to take responsibility in both civil and criminal cases. The board members are also required to reveal their salary and bonuses. The nomination of Lee is subject to approval at a shareholders' meeting on Oct 27, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"As part of (realizing) responsible management, the boardroom has asked him to take the boardroom seat for a long time," the company said. "Vice Chairman Lee has decided to accept that as his Chairman Lee Kun-hee has been ill for a long time."

The company also that the junior Lee has proved himself as a qualified executive during the two-year absence of his bed-ridden father despite the deteriorating business environment.

"As a chief operating officer, Vice Chairman Lee has built an in-depth experience in overall management, and displayed his talent as an executive by leading a rebound in the company's sales and business restructuring."

Samsung boardroom members also decided to have Lee as its registered member stressing that the company is in a critical situation to push ahead with innovating corporate culture and restructuring businesses to strengthen the company's competitiveness in fast-changing IT business.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics, which is suffering from a recall of its latest phablet, lost more than 6 per cent in its share value Monday, dragging down Korea's benchmark stock index.

Combined with North Korea's nuclear provocation woes and higher probabilities of a US interest rate hike in September, the Kospi tumbled 2.28 per cent to 1,991.48. points.

The world's largest smartphone maker and market bellwether of Seoul's Kospi closed at 1,465,000 won, (S$1.8 million) down 6.98 per cent from the previous trading session on Friday.

The company's shares slid 10.54 per cent as soon as the market opened on the day, dragging down the stock index to 1,991.48.

The issue of the battery defect in the newest Galaxy Note 7 was expected to be well resolved as the company decided to recall all of 2.5 million phones that were pre-sold on reservations. But recommendations made by 10 governments around the world to suspend the use of the Samsung phablet are making the issue more complicated than expected.

- See more at: http://business.asiaone.com/news/sa...ip-shares-tumble-recall #sthash.bIr2CXlL.dpuf

 

[qwerrty]

i remember some idiots here and media said samsung bought small stake in byd means byd will use batteries made by samsung sdi blabla... lol..
byd is one of the biggest battery makers in the world. their tech is proven in electric vehicles and is very profitable all on their own. why the phuck do they want to use unproven samsung batteries and kill their own because sammie owning small stake in their company... what makes those idiots think like that?? lolz


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Samsung Forced to Hang Battery Unit out to Dry

Samsung Electronics has been forced to hang its own affiliate Samsung SDI out to dry over combustible batteries that ruined the victory lap of its latest smartphone.

Samsung Electronics began replacing Galaxy Note 7 phones sold worldwide on Monday. All the new devices will have batteries made by ATL of China instead of Samsung SDI.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has approved Galaxy Note 7s with ATL batteries, so Samsung can proceed with the recall and resume sales.

Only last year Samsung SDI accounted for a quarter of the world's compact rechargeable battery market, ranking first ahead of LG Chem, Panasonic and ATL, who just had around 10 percent each.

But market share is mostly determined by sales to affiliates, and there is not much difference in technology. And now ATL has clearly stolen a march on Samsung SDI in terms of quality by the simple expedient of preventing its batteries from going up in flames on recharging.

Based in China, ATL is well known in the industry for supplying pouch-type batteries to Apple, which has a reputation for high quality standards, including the new iPhone 7.

Market insiders say Samsung's habit of keeping it in the family caused Samsung SDI to slacken quality controls and innovation. In the first half of this year, 31.6 percent of Samsung SDI's revenues came from other Samsung affiliates, and in 2014 the proportion was 49.6 percent. Samsung SDI supplied 70 percent of the Galaxy Note 7 batteries.

Over-reliance on affiliates ended up costing Samsung SDI its advantage in developing cutting-edge technologies. LG Chem, ATL and other rivals wasted no time switching to pouch-type batteries to meet emerging demand, but Samsung SDI kept churning out stick-type batteries because its main client had not caught on.

When Samsung SDI finally started making large-capacity, 3500mAh pouch-type batteries to meet orders from Samsung Electronics, they were not up to scratch. The Galaxy Note 7 is slimmer than its predecessor, and its waterproof and vibration-resistant design further constrains battery space, which proved too tall an order in too little time.

Another problem was a mass exodus of technicians due to money-saving layoffs at Samsung SDI. The company's total staff shrank from 7,408 in late 2015 to 6,937 as of June. One industry source said, "The staff cuts were probably at least partly responsible for the battery defects."
By Park Soon-chan / Sep. 19, 2016 12:44 KST

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/19/2016091901575.html

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

I just read that ATL is owned by Japanese company SDK.

Is it true? How much equity does SDK own?

 

[AndrewJin]

I just read that ATL is owned by Japanese company SDK.

Is it true? How much equity does SDK own?

At first it is, investment from SDK.
CATL and other related companies are owned by former ATL managers.
The management and technicians are China based, no Japanese are involed.

 

[Jlaw]

China's ATL to provide Samsung's replacement batteries
China Daily, September 13, 2016

China's Amperex Technology Limited is now providing batteries for Samsung Electronics Co's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, after faulty batteries prompted a worldwide recall of the phones, an ATL manager said on Monday.

Battery shipments from ATL, whose headquarters are in Hong Kong, will increase greatly, said the manager, who declined to give his name. He did not provide the number of batteries to be shipped.

ATL also offers batteries for other domestic and foreign smartphone manufacturers

The confirmation followed a report by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency that Samsung will now use only batteries provided by ATL for the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung declined to comment on Monday.

Following the recall, which was announced earlier this month, Samsung ordered an additional 4 million batteries from ATL, Yonhap reported on Sunday, citing unidentified industry sources.

Shares of Samsung Electronics plunged by 6.98 percent on Monday after the South Korean electronics giant urged users worldwide to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 following reports of exploding batteries.

Some Chinese experts urged further investigation of the reports that the smartphones had exploded, saying other parts might have been faulty.

Meanwhile, international airlines and aviation agencies have banned passengers from switching on or charging the Samsung phones during flights.

Chinese airlines such as Air China said they haven't received a notification to ban in-flight use of Galaxy Note 7 phones.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung decided to cease sales and recalled 2.5 million Note 7 units in 10 markets, including Singapore, the United States and South Korea, on Sept 2. The decision came after some of the phones were found to have faulty batteries.

The Galaxy Note 7 recall does not cover customers in China. A statement from Samsung China confirmed that the smartphones sent for customers in China use batteries from a different supplier.

ATL is poised to become the only battery provider for Samsung, which is the world's largest smartphone maker by shipments, the Yonhap agency said.

Since ATL also supplies batteries for Apple's iPhone series, Samsung could face supply problems if demand soars for the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Yonhap said.

***

Made in China once again proves its high relevancy in global innovation and quality. If it worked with ATL from the beginning, Samsung would save itself from a huge reputation dent and recall cost.

Made in China is not just about cheap quality anymore. Big Chinese companies like Huawei and BYD is leading examples for other Chinese companies to follow. 2020 is going to see a strong shift to further improving quality and continued innovation

 

[dingyibvs]

I think what's even more impressive here than making safe batteries which seems to be something only Samsung can't do is that ATL can ramp up production and supply millions of batteries at a moment's notice. The ability to scale in China is just incredible.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

http://bgr.com/2016/09/28/samsung-explosions-washing-machines-top-loading/

Samsung’s issues with exploding devices may, oddly enough, extend far beyond the public relations disaster that was the recently recalled Galaxy Note 7. According to a report from ABC News, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning in regards to top-loading Samsung washing machines after fielding numerous complaints about the machines exploding.

Hardly isolated incidents, the CPSC since 2015 has seen at least 21 reports from consumers involving exploding washing machines. In one story relayed by ABC News, one owner described the incident as being nothing short of harrowing.

“It was the loudest sound. It sounded like a bomb went off in my ear,” owner Melissa Thaxton said during an interview. “There were wires, nuts, the cover actually was laying on the floor.”

Thaxton added that her four-year old son, in the wake of the explosion, “was just screaming this scream that I didn’t even know I could scream.”

Exploding Galaxy Note 7 devices over the last few weeks caused no shortage of damage, but exploding washing machines, by mere virtue of their size alone, arguably pose much more of a grave threat to users. And that, of course, says quite a bit given what we’ve seen what exploding Note 7 devices can do. Over the past few weeks, Galaxy Note 7 devices have been responsible for parked cars becoming engulfed in flames and a large number of burn reports.

With the CPSC now taking action, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Samsung is now being sued for its exploding washing machine problem.

For those who own top-loading Samsung washing machines, the company advises users to only use “the delicate cycle when washing bedding and bulky items.”

Samsung’s full comments on the matter read:

We are in active discussions with the CPSC to address potential safety issues related to certain top-load washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016. In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items.

Samsung is recommending that consumers with affected models use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant materials. There have been no reported incidents when using this cycle. It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011.

CPSC and Samsung are working on a remedy for affected consumers that will help ensure there are no further incidents. We will provide updated information to the public as soon as possible on this website.

If you own a top-loading Samsung washing machine, you can see if your machine is vulnerable by entering in your serial number here.


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This is a video from a few months ago

 

[somebozo]

man too much bad news from Korea these days...looks like the whole country is sinking...

 

[Azadkashmir]

sabatage i bet ya for copying apple.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

man too much bad news from Korea these days...looks like the whole country is sinking...

Samsung better pray their tv's are in order..or they'll beat Sony to the bottom.

 

[ahojunk]

man too much bad news from Korea these days...looks like the whole country is sinking...

I don't think so.

South Korea is in a much better shape than many other countries.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/1...bly-fixed-catches-fire-on-southwest-plane.htm

After a global Galaxy Note 7 recall over exploding batteries Samsung allegedly fixed the issue, but a replacement unit just caught fire on a Southwest Airlines plane.

Samsung just put the Galaxy Note 7 back on sale globally after the whole recall fiasco, but the phablet is still having issues. Southwest Airlines flight 944, travelling from Louisville to Baltimore, was evacuated on Wednesday morning because of a replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that caught fire.

The plane was still at the gate when the incident occurred and all crew members and passengers exited via the main cabin door. No one was injured, according to a Southwest Airlines spokesperson who spoke with The Verge.

As previously mentioned, the Galaxy Note 7 unit that caught fire on the plane was a replacement unit, which means that Samsung had allegedly fixed the issues that caused the phone to overheat and catch fire. The replacement unit had Samsung's stamp of approval that it was safe, complete with the black square symbol that denotes a replacement Galaxy Note 7 unit and Green indicating that it had a green battery icon.

Brian Green, the owner of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in question, told The Verge that he had picked up his replacement phone on Sept. 21, from an AT&T store. After boarding the plane, he powered off the device as instructed and placed it in his pocket when it started smoking.

Green dropped the device on the floor of the plane and says a "thick grey-green angry smoke" started coming out. Eventually, the phone burned through the carpet and even burned the subfloor of the plane.

According to Green, the replacement Galaxy Note 7 had roughly 80 percent battery life when it started smoking and burning. Green says he only used a wireless charger to juice up the device.

The Galaxy Note 7 unit at fault here should theoretically have no issues whatsoever, and even checking it with Samsung's IMEI tool retrieves a "Great News" message, meaning that it's not included in the recall.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is now officially available worldwide again, presumably free of overheating issues and exploding batteries, but it seems that at least some units are still having issues.

Southwest Airlines canceled its flight and rebooked passengers on later flights, while the replacement Galaxy Note 7 that evacuated the plane is now in custody for investigation at the arson unit of the Louisville Fire Department.

Samsung has yet to issue a statement on the matter. Green, meanwhile, has already replaced the faulty smartphone with an iPhone 7.

 

[cirr]

Use Samsung products at your own peril.

 

[grey boy 2]

First it was Samsung phones. Now it’s exploding Samsung washing machines.By Katie Mettler September 29

A photo of one of the affected Samsung washing machines, which exploded and was listed in the federal class action lawsuit filed against the company in August.

One Georgia mom was pulling clothes from the dryer, with her 4-year-old son nearby, when she heard the boom and saw the damage. Another woman thought something had crashed through her roof. In one instance, metal shards flung into a hallway and ripped holes in the wall. Laundry rooms have flooded. A whole house shook.

The cause of this carnage, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed last month, is another exploding product made by Samsung.


Not smartphones, but washing machines.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-now-its-exploding-samsung-washing-machines/

 

[Place Of Space]

First it was Samsung phones. Now it’s exploding Samsung washing machines.By Katie Mettler September 29

A photo of one of the affected Samsung washing machines, which exploded and was listed in the federal class action lawsuit filed against the company in August.

One Georgia mom was pulling clothes from the dryer, with her 4-year-old son nearby, when she heard the boom and saw the damage. Another woman thought something had crashed through her roof. In one instance, metal shards flung into a hallway and ripped holes in the wall. Laundry rooms have flooded. A whole house shook.

The cause of this carnage, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed last month, is another exploding product made by Samsung.


Not smartphones, but washing machines.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-now-its-exploding-samsung-washing-machines/

Oh, are you sure the 4-year-old son just stand nearby? You know the little kids are machine killers.