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The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a discontinued Android-based
phablet A phablet (, ) is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of ''phone'' and ''tablet''. Phablets feature large displays that complement screen-intensive activity such as mo ...
designed, developed, produced and marketed by
Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, a ...
. Unveiled on 2 August 2016, it was officially released on 19 August 2016 as a successor to the
Galaxy Note 5 The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy Note5) is an Android-based phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 13 August 2015, it is the successor to the Galaxy Note 4 and part of the Sa ...
. It is Samsung's first phone with a
USB-C USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the conn ...
connector, and the last phone in the
Galaxy Note series The Samsung Galaxy Note series is a discontinued line of high-end Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models ship with a stylu ...
to have a physical home button. Although it is the sixth main device in the Galaxy Note series, Samsung branded its series number as "7" instead of "6" so consumers would not perceive it as being inferior to the flagship
Samsung Galaxy S7 The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active are Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series serves as the successor to the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and ...
, and to prevent confusion about the order of release due to the same release year (2016). The Galaxy Note 7 is an evolution of the Galaxy Note 5 that inherited hardware components and improvements from the Galaxy S7, including the restoration of expandable storage and IP68 water resistance, and new features such as a dual-sided curved display, support for high-dynamic-range (HDR) color, improvements to the bundled stylus and new software features which utilize it, an
iris recognition Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of one or both of the irises of an individual's eyes, whose complex patterns are unique, stable, and can ...
system, and a
USB-C USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the conn ...
port. Demand for the Galaxy Note 7 upon launch was high, breaking pre-order records in South Korea and causing international releases to be delayed in some markets due to supply shortages. The Galaxy Note 7 received positive reviews from critics, who praised the quality of its construction, its HDR support, as well as its streamlined user interface, although it was criticized for its high price and increasing similarities in overall specifications to the main Galaxy S series of phones. Samsung suspended sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and announced an informal recall on 2 September 2016 after it was found that a manufacturing defect in the phones' batteries caused some of them to generate excessive heat, resulting in fires. After a formal U.S. recall was announced on 15 September 2016, Samsung exchanged the affected phones for a new revision which utilized batteries sourced from a different supplier. However, after reports emerged of incidents where the replacement phones also caught fire, Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide on 10 October 2016, and permanently ceased production of the device a day later. As a safety precaution, they distributed multi-layer fireproof boxes with packing instructions. Due to the recalls, Samsung issued software updates in some markets that were intended to " eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices", including restricting battery capacity and blocking their ability to connect to wireless networks. Samsung stated that it intends to recycle reusable silicon and components from the recalled models, and release refurbished models "where applicable". The recall had a major impact on Samsung's business in the third quarter of 2016, with the company projecting that its operating profits would be down by 33% in comparison to the previous quarter. Credit Suisse analysts estimated that Samsung would lose at least US$17 billion in revenue from the production and recall of the Galaxy Note 7. In July 2017, nine months after the Note 7 recall, Samsung released a refurbished version of the Galaxy Note 7, known as Galaxy Note Fan Edition (marketed as Samsung Galaxy Note FE). It has a smaller battery of 3200 mAh and is supplied with
Android Nougat Android Nougat ( codenamed Android N during development) is the seventh major version and 14th original version of the Android operating system. First released as an alpha test version on March 9, 2016, it was officially released on August 22, ...
with
Samsung Experience Samsung Experience (stylized as SΛMSUNG Experience) was a software overlay for the Android "launcher" by Samsung for its Galaxy devices running Android 7.x “Nougat” and Android 8.x “Oreo”. It was introduced in late 2016 on a beta build ...
UI, the operating system of the Galaxy S8. The successor to the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8, was announced on 23 August 2017 and released almost a month later.


Specifications


Hardware


Exterior

The Galaxy Note 7's hardware is similar in overall specifications and design to the
Galaxy S7 The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active are Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series serves as the successor to the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and ...
, with a metal and glass chassis, IP68 water resistance, and a microSD card slot.


Chipsets

The Note 7 is equipped with an octa-core
Exynos Exynos, formerly Hummingbird (), is a series of ARM-based system-on-chips developed by Samsung Electronics' System LSI division and manufactured by Samsung Foundry. It is a continuation of Samsung's earlier S3C, S5L and S5P line of SoCs. E ...
8890
system-on-chip A system on a chip or system-on-chip (SoC ; pl. ''SoCs'' ) is an integrated circuit that integrates most or all components of a computer or other electronic system. These components almost always include a central processing unit (CPU), memor ...
in most markets, and 4 GB of RAM. In China, Japan, and the United States, the Note 7 uses the quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 820 This is a list of Qualcomm Snapdragon systems on chips (SoC) made by Qualcomm for use in smartphones, tablets, laptops, 2-in-1 PCs, smartwatches, and smartbooks devices. Before Snapdragon SoC made by Qualcomm before it was renamed to Snapdr ...
instead (which supports older
CDMA Code-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communicatio ...
networks that are extensively used by wireless carriers in these markets), Unlike the S7, which uses Exynos chips in this market, Canadian models of the Note 7 also use the Snapdragon 820. The Note 7 uses a USB Type-C port, marking Samsung's first mobile phone with the symmetrical connector.


Display

The Galaxy Note 7 features a 5.7 inches (140 mm)
1440p 1440p is a family of video display resolutions that have a vertical resolution of 1440 pixels. The ''p'' stands for progressive scan, i.e. non-interlaced. The 1440 pixel vertical resolution is double the vertical resolution of 720p, and one-third ...
Super AMOLED AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, ) is a type of OLED display device technology. OLED describes a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which organic compounds form the electroluminescent material, and active matrix ...
display. Similarly to the "Edge" models of the S6 and S7, the display curves over the side bezels of the device; the curvature allows the Note 7 to be 2.2 millimetres (0.087 in) narrower than the Galaxy Note 5. The display supports high-dynamic-range video, and is the first Samsung flagship phone to be coated in
Gorilla Glass 5 Gorilla Glass is a brand of chemically strengthened glass developed and manufactured by Corning, now in its seventh generation. Designed to be thin, light and damage-resistant, the glass gains its surface strength, ability to contain flaws, and c ...
.


Stylus

As with all Galaxy Note models, the device is supplied with an
active stylus An active pen (also referred to as active stylus) is an input device that includes electronic components and allows users to write directly onto the display of a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer or ultrabook. The active pen ...
branded as "S Pen". The Note 7 stylus supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and is water resistant.


Camera

The Note 7 features the same 12-megapixel rear-facing camera as the S7, with a "Dual Pixel"
image sensor An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to make an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of c ...
and f/1.7 aperture lens.


Biometrics

The Galaxy Note 7 also offers an
iris recognition Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of one or both of the irises of an individual's eyes, whose complex patterns are unique, stable, and can ...
system, using a front-facing camera and infrared illumination. The iris scanner can be used for unlocking, and as authentication for other features of the device (such as
Samsung Pay Samsung Pay (stylized as SΛMSUNG Pay) is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Samsung Electronics that lets users make payments using compatible phones and other Samsung-produced devices. The service supports contactless payments usin ...
and Secure Folder). A fingerprint reader is also embedded in the home button.


Accessories

Optional accessories for the device are the ''S-View Standing Cover'' with a preview window through which basic device functionality is accessible while closed, and a water-resistant battery case which delivers power wirelessly through its Qi interface.


Software

The Galaxy Note 7 is supplied with Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow" and an updated version of Samsung's proprietary
TouchWiz TouchWiz was a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd with partners, featuring a full touch user interface. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an operating system. TouchWiz is used internally by Samsung for smartphones, ...
user interface and software suite codenamed "Project Grace". It features an "always-on display" mode, which can display a clock and notifications on-screen when the device is not in use; different clock styles and support for notifications from third-party apps were added for the "Grace" version. The Screen off memo feature also leverages this mode, allowing users to write notes on the always-on display. The OS also features several new tools supporting the S Pen stylus, including translation, a screen magnifier, and a GIF recording tool. The previous suite of note-taking apps were also consolidated into a single Samsung Notes app. The Galaxy Note 7 introduces a security feature known as "Secure Folder"; it allows users to create a private workspace, protected by an authentication method, with separate user data and apps that are sandboxed from the main system. Installed apps can be cloned into Secure Folder, and users can designate whether notifications generated by apps in the Secure Folder are displayed from outside it. Secure Folder is based on the
Samsung Knox Samsung Knox is a proprietary security and management framework pre-installed on most Samsung mobile devices. Its primary purpose is to provide organizations with a toolset for managing work devices, such as employee mobile phones or interactive ...
2.7 technology, which also added the ability for enterprises to control the distribution of system updates, and improvements to mobile device management and
Microsoft Exchange Server Microsoft Exchange Server is a mail server and calendaring server developed by Microsoft. It runs exclusively on Windows Server operating systems. The first version was called Exchange Server 4.0, to position it as the successor to the related ...
integration. The device also introduces Samsung Pass, a platform allowing apps to provide biometric authentication using its iris scanner. Samsung reached partnerships with several major U.S. banks to explore the integration of Samsung Pass into their mobile apps.


Release

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 7 opened the day after its unveiling, with a release in the United States on 19 August 2016. Samsung skipped the numbering of the Galaxy Note series directly from " 5" to "7" to synchronize it with its flagship Galaxy S series and the
Galaxy S7 The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active are Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series serves as the successor to the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and ...
line. The company stated that consumers may have perceived the Galaxy Note models to be inferior in technology to Galaxy S models because the numbering in their names were one digit lower. Pre-orders in South Korea already broke records, with over 200,000 units pre-ordered within two days. Samsung Canada stated that pre-orders in Canada were "outstanding". The demand also forced countries such as Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine to delay their releases to September due to supply shortages.


Reception


''TechRadar''

''
TechRadar ''TechRadar'' is an online publication owned by Future and focused on technology. It has editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia and provides news and reviews of tech products and gadgets. It was launched in 2007 and expanded to the US in ...
'' said that the Galaxy Note 7's "rich-looking, glass-and-metal-fused design" would "really wow people who are upgrading from those old, plastic-clad Note 4 and
Note 3 The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is an Android phablet smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics as part of the Samsung Galaxy Note series. The Galaxy Note 3 was unveiled on September 4, 2013, with its worldwide release beginning later in the month. S ...
handsets", but noted that the curved edges of the screen infrequently caused minor issues when using the stylus. The display was considered to be vibrant and well-suited for multimedia, especially due to its HDR support. Aspects of the software were also praised, including the continued trimming of Samsung's TouchWiz suite and its streamlined settings interface, and that it already included features introduced to the stock operating system as of Android 7.0 "Nougat" (although still being initially supplied with Android ''Marshmallow''). Of the device's new stylus-oriented features, the consolidated S Notes app, GIF recorder, and always-on display functionality were commended, but the translation tool was considered inferior to
Google Translate Google Translate is a multilingual neural machine translation service developed by Google to translate text, documents and websites from one language into another. It offers a website interface, a mobile app for Android and iOS, and an API ...
. The Galaxy Note 7's battery was judged as being capable of one-and-a-half days of normal use, and it was noted that the software also featured numerous estimation and power-saving features. ''Techradar'' concluded that "if you're going to get out of the stylus, the Note 7 is an obvious choice. The iris scanner doesn't make it a convincing enough buy on its own. Otherwise, save your money and stick with the S7 Edge."


''Ars Technica''

'' Ars Technica'' was critical of the Note 7 due to its similarities to the
Galaxy S7 The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active are Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series serves as the successor to the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and ...
. The Note 7's refreshed design was commended for being smoother and more ergonomic than previous Samsung devices with curved screens, although the company was panned for using glass on the rear panel rather than metal. The S Pen was also criticized for feeling "cheap", and was described as a "hollow plastic tube that would feel more at home in a 100-pack of disposable Bic pens than in an ultra-premium $850 smartphone". The iris scanner's implementation was panned for adding additional steps to the process of unlocking the phone in comparison to the fingerprint reader, and that it does not integrate into Android's integrated authentication platforms (making it proprietary to Samsung components). Warnings regarding looking at the sensor for too long were also considered "just a little scary". TouchWiz on the Note 7 was panned for consisting mainly of "'different for the sake of being different' changes that don't add much to the software experience" and make the interface less consistent with third-party software by removing elements of the
Material design Material Design (codenamed Quantum Paper) is a design language developed by Google in 2014. Expanding on the "cards" that debuted in Google Now, Material Design uses more grid-based layouts, responsive animations and transitions, padding, and d ...
language. In conclusion, ''Ars Technica'' doubted whether the Galaxy Note series was still necessary due to its increasing similarities to the main
Galaxy S The Samsung Galaxy S is a series of high-end Android phones made by Samsung. It may refer to: * Samsung Galaxy S (2010 smartphone) * Samsung Galaxy II * Samsung Galaxy III * Samsung Galaxy S4 * Samsung Galaxy S4 mini * Samsung Galaxy S5 * Samsun ...
line, and felt that the device was priced too high, citing Chinese vendors capable of undercutting the prices of major brands while still producing phones of similar specifications.


''Android Police''

Upon release, technology journalist David Ruddock of ''Android Police'' criticized the
Samsung Galaxy Note series The Samsung Galaxy Note series is a discontinued line of high-end Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models ship with a stylu ...
for no longer being targeted towards
power user A power user is a user of computers, software and other electronic devices, who uses advanced features of computer hardware, operating systems, programs, or websites which are not used by the average user. A power user might not have extensive tec ...
s like it was years prior. Ruddock stated that since 2015's
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 ( stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy Note5) is an Android-based phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 13 August 2015, it is the successor to the Galaxy Note 4 and part of the Sa ...
, not much except for the '' S Pen'' stylus sets the Galaxy Note devices of the year apart from the respective Galaxy S series devices released earlier that year.


Issues


Battery faults

Battery defects caused many Note 7 units to overheat and combust or explode. On 10 October 2016, Samsung permanently discontinued the Galaxy Note 7 due to these repeated incidents. In the original run of devices, the battery produced by
Samsung SDI Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. () is a battery and electronic materials manufacturer headquartered in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Samsung SDI operates its business with Energy Solutions and Electronic Materials segment. The Energy Solution segment ma ...
contained a design flaw that made electrodes on the top-right of the battery susceptible to bending. This weakened separation between positive and negative tabs of the battery, resulting in
thermal runaway Thermal runaway describes a process that is accelerated by increased temperature, in turn releasing energy that further increases temperature. Thermal runaway occurs in situations where an increase in temperature changes the conditions in a way t ...
and
short circuit A short circuit (sometimes abbreviated to short or s/c) is an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance. This results in an excessive current flowing through the circui ...
s. Following an official recall on 12 September 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 was re-versioned using batteries from China-based
Contemporary Amperex Technology Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (), abbreviated as CATL, is a Chinese battery manufacturer and technology company founded in 2011 that specializes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage s ...
(CATL or ATL), which also supplies batteries to the iPhone smartphones. On 23 January 2017, Samsung stated that these batteries had suffered from a manufacturing defect in the welding process, which pushed electrodes up and caused damage to the separation between the positive and negative tabs. Some batteries were also missing insulation tape entirely. Samsung reported that these oversights resulted from the vendor's push to ramp up production of batteries for the replacement phones in order to meet demand. Due to the battery defects, the device was considered a hazmat product, and was prohibited from being taken onboard at many airlines and bus stations. Eventually, Samsung released two updates for the Note 7, one that activated a 60% charge limit and then a 0% charge limit that made the phone unusable even though the charge limit can be removed by erasing the phone and downgrading it to Version 1, the stock release.


Initial reports

On 31 August 2016, it was reported that Samsung was delaying shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 in some regions in order to perform "additional tests being conducted for product quality"; this came alongside user reports of batteries exploding while charging.Samsung delays shipments of Galaxy Note 7 for quality control testing
, 31 August 2016. The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2016
On 1 September, South Korea's
Yonhap News Agency Yonhap News Agency is a major South Korean news agency. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea. History Yonhap (, , translit. ' ...
reported that Samsung was preparing to recall the device worldwide due to these battery issues. On 2 September, Samsung suspended sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and announced an informal recall after it was found that a manufacturing defect in the phones' batteries had caused some of them to generate excessive heat, resulting in fires and explosions. A formal U.S. recall was announced on 15 September 2016. Samsung exchanged the affected phones for a new revision which utilized batteries sourced from a different supplier. However, after reports emerged of incidents where these replacement phones also caught fire, Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide on 10 October 2016, and permanently ceased production of the device a day later. Due to the recalls, Samsung has issued software updates in some markets that are intended to " eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices", including restricting battery capacity, and blocking their ability to connect to wireless networks. A Samsung spokesperson stated that the company had received 35 reports of battery failure, which "account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold". Samsung stated that the hazard was limited to a small fraction of phones manufactured, and released a tool on its website on 19 September to identify affected units by their unique
IMEI The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a numeric identifier, usually unique, for 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone but can al ...
numbers. On 8 September 2016, the
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) issued an advisory warning passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft. The European Aviation Safety Agency made a similar statement on 9 September, stating that "passengers are reminded of the need to inform the cabin crew when a device is damaged, hot, produces smoke, is lost, or falls into the seat structure."


First recall

On 15 September 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 was officially recalled in the United States by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, who advised all owners to shut down and cease all usage of the device and return them in exchange for a replacement. On 13 September, Samsung announced in newspaper advertisements that it would release a software patch to the affected Galaxy Note 7 devices in South Korea, which prevents the device from being charged beyond 60% capacity to reduce the risk of combustion. The Galaxy Note 7 was subsequently reissued with batteries supplied by Chinese company
Amperex Technology Limited Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) is a battery manufacturing company, founded in 1999 by Robin Zeng. The company specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries. ATL is no ...
(which also serves as the main battery supplier for the iPhone line). These replacement models, which Samsung purportedly classified as being safe, had a prominent marking on their packaging to distinguish them from the first wave of recalled units and render all software battery indicators with green icons. Samsung was granted special permission by
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
to allow this change, as it would normally violate the requirements of the Android Compatibility Definition Document (which must be met to license
Google Mobile Services Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a collection of proprietary applications and application programming interfaces (APIs) services from Google that are typically pre-installed on Android devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. GMS ...
software and Android trademarks) for all status bar icons to only be rendered in white. Following the announcement of the recall,
Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the div ...
released a software update to Galaxy Note 7 units purchased from the carrier, which displays the aforementioned green icons on safe devices and an embedded recall notice on affected devices when the device is plugged in. Unlike the South Korean update, it does not include a charging cut-off. Samsung reported that 80% of devices had been replaced in South Korea, and roughly 50% in Europe and North America. Only 10% of devices in the U.S. were returned, with about 50,000 units traded for a different model. However, Samsung stated that 95% of users chose to maintain their loyalty to the company.


Issues with replacement phones

In October 2016, several incidents occurred in which replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones still suffered from battery failure and combustion. A Galaxy Note 7 owner in
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
was hospitalized with acute bronchitis due to
smoke inhalation Smoke inhalation is the breathing in of harmful fumes (produced as by-products of combusting substances) through the respiratory tract. This can cause smoke inhalation injury (subtype of acute inhalation injury) which is damage to the respirator ...
after his replacement device caught fire in the early morning of 4 October 2016. The owner told a local television station that he had received a text message not meant for him from a Samsung customer service representative, which read, "Just now got this. I can try and slow him down if we think it will matter, or we just let him do what he keeps threatening to do and see if he does it". On 5 October 2016, a Southwest Airlines flight preparing to depart from
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
was evacuated before takeoff when a passenger's replacement Galaxy Note 7, obtained from an
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
retail outlet, began smoking and popping as they were turning it off. Samsung stated that they were working with the airline to investigate the incident, but said they would be unable to confirm whether the device was a replacement until it was recovered. On 7 October 2016, a third replacement phone in
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
reportedly caught fire in a similar manner.


Second recall and subsequent discontinuation

In response to incidents involving replacement phones, the United States' five major wireless carriers ( AT&T Mobility and
T-Mobile US T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and Bellevue, Washington, U.S. Its largest shareholder is a multinational telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, which , holds 48.4 pe ...
on 9 October, along with
Sprint Corporation Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunications company. Before it merged with T-Mobile US on April 1, 2020, it was the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United States, serving 54.3 million customers as of June 30, 2019. The ...
,
Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the div ...
, and U.S. Cellular on 10 October) subsequently announced that they would suspend sales of the Galaxy Note 7 until further notice, pending an investigation. On 10 October 2016, Samsung officially announced that it had "
sked Sked is shortened version of the word ''schedule''. It can refer to a flight schedule, a baseball schedule, or any other type of schedule. In the context of amateur radio a sked is a pre-arranged oscheduled contactbetween ham radio operators. In ...
all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges" of the Galaxy Note 7, and urged all owners to power them off and "take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase". A day later, Samsung announced it would permanently cease production of the Galaxy Note 7 in the interest of customer safety. Samsung began issuing special kits to package the devices for returns, which consist of an
antistatic bag An antistatic bag is a bag used for storing electronic components, which are prone to damage caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD). These bags are usually plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and have a distinctive color (silvery for metal ...
that the phone is to be inserted into, and three layers of boxes—the last of which is lined with ceramic fibre paper for fire protection. The shipping box also contains instructions explicitly stating that they are not to be shipped by air. Samsung told
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character t ...
's ''Motherboard'' that it would not repair or refurbish any of the returned phones but would "safely dispose" of them. Following Samsung's actions, the Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Authority and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
' Consumer Product Safety Commission issued official recalls of all Galaxy Note 7 units, banning the sale and distribution of any Note 7 phone within both countries. The Royal Mail and the British courier company
Parcelforce Parcelforce Worldwide is a courier and logistics service in the United Kingdom. Parcelforce Worldwide is a trading name of the Royal Mail and is organised within the UK Parcels, International and Letters division of the group. The company del ...
announced they would not accept or deliver any parcels containing a Galaxy Note 7. Online marketplaces
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and
Gumtree Gumtree.com, known as Gumtree, is a British-based online classified advertisement and community website based at Hotham House, Richmond, London. Classified ads are either free or paid for depending on the product category and the geographical m ...
also began to pull listings selling Galaxy Note 7 devices. After the suspension of sales,
Oculus VR Reality Labs is a business of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook Inc.) that produces virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software, including virtual reality headsets such as Quest, and online platforms such as Horizon ...
issued an update to its software for the
Samsung Gear VR The Samsung Gear VR is a virtual reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Oculus VR, and manufactured by Samsung. The headset was released on November 27, 2015. When in use, a compatible Samsung Galaxy device acts ...
virtual reality headset A virtual reality headset (or VR headset) is a head-mounted device that provides virtual reality for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used with VR video games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. VR ...
, which blocks its use with the Galaxy Note 7 for safety reasons. The headset had been included with some units of the phone as a promotional offer. On 14 October 2016, the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
and the Department of Transportation's
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is a United States Department of Transportation agency created in 2004, responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound oper ...
banned the Note 7 from being taken aboard any airline flight, even if powered off.
Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...
,
Virgin Australia Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as ''Virgin Blue'', with two ...
and Garuda Indonesia issued similar bans, while
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...
issued a notice stating that the Note 7 was banned from flights under Special Provision 137 prohibitions, banning the carriage of damaged or defective lithium-ion batteries onto flights. In response to these air travel bans, Samsung announced it would set up dedicated kiosks at selected airports in order to allow travelers to exchange or receive a refund for their Galaxy Note 7 on-site before departing, rather than having it confiscated by security or airport staff. On 20 December 2016, a
Virgin America Virgin America Inc. was a low-cost U.S. airline that operated from 2007 until 2018, when it was acquired by Alaska Airlines. The airline primarily focused on operating low-fare service between cities on the West Coast and other major metropol ...
flight from San Francisco to Boston was nearly diverted mid-flight after it was discovered that a passenger on the plane had been operating a Wi-Fi hotspot with the SSID "Samsung Galaxy Note7_1097". However, it was later discovered that the hotspot was a hoax and that no passenger had actually brought a Galaxy Note 7 onboard.


Disabling of functionality

On 4 November 2016, the
New Zealand Telecommunications Forum The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF) is a pan-industry organisation which aims to encourage cooperation and develop standards for telecommunications equipment and services. Its members include 2degrees, Chorus, Spark New Zealand, Vodafo ...
announced it would ban all Galaxy Note 7 phones from use on local mobile networks beginning on 18 November, enforced via
IMEI The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a numeric identifier, usually unique, for 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone but can al ...
blacklist. On 30 November, Samsung announced that Galaxy Note 7 devices would be banned from Australian wireless networks effective 15 December 2016. In December 2016, Samsung announced its intent to cripple the functionality of unreturned Galaxy Note 7 phones in Canada and the United States via software updates. In Canada, an update restricted charge capacity and blocked the phone from connecting to any wireless networks or using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. In the United States, the update blocked the devices from being recharged in order to " eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices". Verizon announced that it would refuse to distribute this update due to the "added risk this could pose to Galaxy Note 7 users that do not have another device to switch to" because it would "make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation", especially during the holiday season. On 18 December 2016, Verizon announced they would be distributing the update on 5 January 2017. Sprint also said it would not distribute this update until January 2017. Verizon later announced it would redirect all outgoing calls (excluding emergency calls) made on unreturned Galaxy Note 7 devices to a service hotline demanding that they be returned, and threatened to charge customers a fee equaling the total retail cost of the phone if they refused to comply. On 9 January 2017, Samsung released another update in South Korea which blocked the device from being charged beyond 15%. On 24 March 2017, Samsung released another update for South Korean users, barring charging of the Galaxy Note 7.


Aftermath

''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media ...
'' panned Samsung's overall handling of the battery faults and recall, arguing that the company had initially delivered unclear messaging over whether or not the devices were still safe to use, as well as its slow communication with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which had the capacity to issue an official recall in the United States. The arguments were based on data released on 13 September 2016 by the research firm
Apteligent Apteligent (previously known as Crittercism Inc.), based in San Francisco, California, is a mobile application providing both tools and app performance insights for mobile developers and product managers and mobile ecosystem performance data. The ...
, which stated that Galaxy Note 7 usage had been "almost exactly the same" since the announcement of the exchange program. ''The Verge'' also noted that the U.S. government's ban on taking Galaxy Note 7 phones aboard airline flights was "perhaps unprecedented", acknowledging that only the ban of hoverboards by individual airlines for similar reasons—an entire class of products (albeit one that was "admittedly fire-prone because of cheap materials")—came close to a legal ban for a single consumer product in terms of overall magnitude. Kyle Weins of ''
Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...
'' felt that Samsung switched to non-removable batteries in order to imitate the industrial design of
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
after having used removable batteries on many of its past models, such as the
Galaxy Note 4 The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is an Android smartphone developed and produced by Samsung Electronics. It was unveiled during a Samsung press conference at IFA Berlin on 3 September 2014 and was released globally in October 2014 as successor to t ...
. He argued that this design decision exacerbated the battery faults of the Note 7 by requiring users to replace the entire phone instead of only the battery. He suggested that Samsung could "lead the pack" in the future by switching back to removable batteries, as with other "responsible" OEMs such as HP and
LG Electronics LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG Corporation, the fourth largest '' chaebol'' in South Korea, and often considered a ...
. Analysts argued that the recall had hurt Samsung's brand, and would likely result in the company losing its market share to competitors, including
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
and
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
(which had recently unveiled their respective
iPhone 7 The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are smartphones that were designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the tenth generation of the iPhone. They were announced on September 7, 2016, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Fr ...
and
Pixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
models) and other Android vendors. Credit Suisse analysts predicted that the recall and discontinuation would result in Samsung losing nearly US$17 billion in revenue. On 12 October 2016, Samsung revised its earnings forecast for the third quarter of 2016, estimating a 33% drop in operating profits in comparison to the second quarter of 2016, and revenue expectations cut by
The won sign , is a currency symbol. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and, unofficially, the old Korean won. Appearance Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike going through the cent ...
2 trillion to ₩47 trillion (US$41.8 billion). On 18 October 2016, McCuneWright LLP sued Samsung and filed a proposed class-action lawsuit over its handling of the recall, stating that the company had "failed to reimburse consumers for monthly costs associated with owning an unusable Note 7". Samsung was also panned by customers affected by the exploding phones, who alleged that the company refused to compensate them for property damage caused by the explosions. In the wake of the recall, Samsung, along with UL LLC, Exponent, and TÜV Rheinland, performed internal testing and analysis to determine the exact causes of the defects. Samsung released its official findings on 23 January 2017. The investigation found that the battery failures were caused by short-circuiting of the battery electrodes as a result of manufacturing defects. For the original batteries this was due to the electrodes touching at a fold of the battery layers, whereas for the batteries after the first recall, the separator sheet could be punctured by welding defects. Concurrently, the company announced that all of its future battery-operated products would be subject to an "enhanced" eight-point inspection and testing protocol, including stricter visual inspections, as well as charge and discharge tests, Total Volatile Organic Compound tests, and accelerated usage tests. An advisory board of academics was also formed. Concerns were also raised over the creation of
electronic waste Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Inform ...
resulting from Samsung's announced plan to destroy all returned phones rather than recycling and refurbishing them into new products. In February 2017, ''
Korea Economic Daily The ''Korea Economic Daily'' (nicknamed ''Hankyung'' (from ''han'' - South Korea and ''kyung'' - business) is a conservative and business daily newspaper in South Korea. It is the largest business newspaper by revenue in South Korea. It was f ...
'' reported that Samsung had been considering refurbishing the Galaxy Note 7 into a modified version with lower battery capacity to be targeted at markets such as Vietnam. A representative of Samsung India denied these reports. Greenpeace disrupted a press conference by Samsung at Mobile World Congress to protest the company's unclear plans for the recalled devices. On 27 March 2017, Samsung announced that it intended to extract reusable parts such as metal, semiconductors, and cameras from the recalled devices, and market refurbished devices "where applicable". After the discontinuation of the Note 7, some features in the device (such as Samsung Pass, Secure Folder, S Pen related features, and Grace UX) were eventually made available in
Android Marshmallow Android Marshmallow ( codenamed Android M during development) is the sixth major version of the Android operating system developed by Google, being the successor to Android Lollipop. It was announced at Google I/O on May 28, 2015, and release ...
(e.g. Galaxy A8 (2016), Galaxy A (2017) series and Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016)) and
Nougat Nougat ( , ; ; az, nuqa; fa, نوقا) is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. ...
(e.g.
Galaxy Note 5 The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy Note5) is an Android-based phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 13 August 2015, it is the successor to the Galaxy Note 4 and part of the Sa ...
(via software update), Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy C Pro series).


Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE)

In June 2017, the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reported on Samsung's plan to refurbish its inventory of recalled phones and release them with a new model designation of Galaxy Note FE, the "FE" being an abbreviation of "Fan Edition". The phone was also rumored to be named the Note 7R, with the "R" standing for "refurbished". This phone was released in South Korea on 7 July 2017, with limited availability in other countries to follow, and a price of $610; being a $255 discount from the price of the Note 7. The Fan Edition has a smaller battery of 3200 mAh and multiple safety features. The software is identical to that of the S8, featuring a similar UI, and includes Bixby home and reminders but not the entire Bixby assistant. Samsung introduced an eight-point battery check after the Note 7 to make sure all of their batteries were safe for new and current devices in production. There have been no reported incidents of an S8 or S8+ catching fire after their release as the first new flagship device to go through the eight-point battery check, nor have there been reports of the Note 8 catching fire. After the Fan Edition was released in South Korea, the Galaxy Note FE was also released in select countries in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
starting in October 2017.


Variants


Galaxy Note 7


Samsung Exynos 8890 models

* SM-N930F (International Single Sim) * SM-N930FD (International Dual SIM) * SM-N930S (South Korea SK Telecom) * SM-N930K (South Korea KT) * SM-N930L (South Korea LG U+)


Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 models

* SM-N9300 (China Open Model) * SM-N930V (USA Verizon Wireless) * SM-N930AZ (USA Cricket Wireless) * SM-N930P (USA Sprint) * SM-N930T (USA T-Mobile US) * SM-N930R4 (USA US Cellular) * SM-N930R4 (USA Straight Talk) * SM-N9308 (China Mobile) * SM-N930U (USA Unlocked) * SM-N930A (USA AT&T) * SM-N930W8 (Canada) * SCV34 (SM-N930J, Japan KDDI au, Canceled) * SC-01J (SM-N930D, Japan NTT DOCOMO, Canceled)


Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE)


Samsung Exynos 8890 models

* SM-N935F (International) * SM-N935F/DS (International Dual SIM) * SM-N935S (South Korea SK Telecom) * SM-N935K (South Korea KT) * SM-N935L (South Korea LG U+)


See also

* *


References


External links

* (archived)
Galaxy Note 7 Safety Recall program
{{Android phablets Mobile phones introduced in 2016 Mobile phones introduced in 2017 Discontinued smartphones Samsung Galaxy 7 Samsung mobile phones Smartphones Engineering failures Mobile phones with stylus Mobile phones with 4K video recording