The mysterious case of the exploding Galaxy Note 7 devices is yet to be fully resolved, but that doesn’t stop us from taking a shot at a solution ourselves. If you’re so inclined, here are the facts and pointers that you need to pass judgement on the situation.
The case of the explosive Note 7
The short version of the whole story is as follows:
  • Samsung sold 3.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.
  • 35 Note 7 phones explode over a period of 3 weeks.
  • Samsung issues a worldwide recall of 2.5 million phones, excludes China from recall.
  • Battery maker Samsung SDI is blamed for the explosion as Samsung alleges manufacturing defects.
  • Samsung claims Chinese battery maker ATL is safe, points to 1 million perfectly functional Chinese Note 7 phones as proof.
  • China’s ATL is now the primary supplier of Galaxy Note 7 batteries.
  • Replacement Note 7 phones with ATL batteries start to spontaneously combust.
  • Samsung kills the Note 7.
If you want a detailed timeline of the whole Note 7 fiasco, head here.
Pointing fingers
Image: Hui Renjie
Image: Hui Renjie
Samsung conducted an investigation and concluded that Samsung SDI, a Samsung affiliate that made 65 percent of the batteries used in the Note 7, was at fault. Samsung SDI made batteries for all Note 7 phones sold outside China. Note 7 devices sold in China used batteries made by Amperex Technologies Limited (ATL).
Samsung claimed that there was a