The Galaxy Note 7 is dead. Samsung last night announced that it will permanently stop manufacturing the phone, effectively scrapping its latest flagship.
The move follows a tumultuous couple of months that saw the Note 7 recalled over safety concerns amid reports of devices overheating to the point where they'd catch fire. While Samsung had begun the process of swapping out the initial batch of Note 7s for "safe" replacement devices, multiple users in the United States reported that these were also catching fire. This led to a second recall while Samsung investigated the incidents, which ultimately led to yesterday's decision to halt production.
"Taking our customer's safety as our highest priority, we have decided to halt sales and production of the Galaxy Note 7," said Samsung in a statement.
Samsung Australia followed up with the below statement:
"Samsung Electronics Australia has announced it is taking the proactive and voluntary step to extend its current recall to all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in Australia, including those that were provided as replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices. Samsung Australia has made this decision as a precautionary measure following an announcement by Samsung Electronics advising that it had stopped production of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones for the benefit of consumer safety."
"Customers in Australia who have a Galaxy Note 7, both an original device purchased before 5 September 2016 or a new replacement Galaxy Note 7 device, should power down their phone and contact their original place of purchase. Samsung Australia is working with its operator and retail partners to ensure all customers can receive an exchange – including a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge – or full refund for their Galaxy Note 7."
Customers with any Note 7 device are being urged to power them down immediately and return them to the point of purchase, whether it's a telco or a retailer. Samsung Australia is working with all its local partners to ensure all customers can receive an exchange or full refund for their Note 7.
Australian telcos are also supplying alternative handsets for customers wishing to change from a Samsung device.
Samsung's unprecedented decision to kill off the Note 7 has led to speculation regarding the future of the Note brand, and whether it has been tarnished beyond repair. One's thing for sure, all eyes will be on Samsung when it unveils its next smartphone.
Alex Choros
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