介绍:
Johny：
What&`&s up with the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone?
Samsung says it&`&s no longer making the new Galaxy Note7 smartphone - and told customers who have one to turn it off and stop using it.
It&`&s after reports of some of the phones catching fire.
This is a huge decision for the South Korean tech giant. So what&`&s up?
&`&Power down and stop&`&
On Tuesday, Samsung told Galaxy Note7 owners to turn off their phones immediately and stop using them.
This came after reports of the phones, in particular the batteries, catching fire.
Shops were told to stop selling them while they investigate the issue.
Selene:
Sounds familiar...
This is not the first time Samsung have had problems with the Note7.
In September, the company recalled and replaced 2.5 million of them after receiving complaints that the batteries were exploding.
It would now appear that the replacement phones may also be faulty, with customers being advised to switch them off.
Batteries
Samsung is investigating, but it&`&s likely the problem is to do with batteries.
Many smartphones are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are a special type of rechargeable battery.
Companies use them because they allow them to make the phones smaller, more efficient and charge faster.
However, this type of battery has been known to be quite unstable and can burst into flames or even explode.
But it&`&s important to remember that companies do loads of tests on their tech to check they&`&re safe for people to use.
April:
Samsung &`&pauses Note 7 production&`&, say media reports
Smartphone giant Samsung has reportedly stopped production of its Note 7 phone amid claims that replacement devices are still at risk of catching fire.
News agencies reported Samsung had temporarily halted production after talks with safety regulators.
Samsung told the BBC it was "adjusting the production schedule to ensure quality and safety matters".
The company has been forced to issue new models of the smartphone following complaints of faulty batteries.
It issued a recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in September and later assured customers that the fixed devices were safe.
But there have now been several reports of replacement phones starting to
emit smoke.
Zoey:
&`&No longer exchanging&`&
In a further blow, two US mobile networks have stopped replacing or selling the phone.
The AT&T and T-Mobile networks said they would no longer replace the devices in the US, while the latter said it would halt all sales of the phone.
"While Samsung investigates multiple reports of issues, T-Mobile is temporarily suspending all sales of the new Note 7 and exchanges for replacement Note 7 devices," T-Mobile said on its website.
Meanwhile, AT&T said: "We&`&re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents." It advised customers to exchange them for other devices.
Johnny:
Manufacturing error
Samsung said in a statement last month that the issue of overheating was caused by a "rare" manufacturing error that resulted in the battery&`&s "anode-to-cathode [negative and positive electrodes]" coming into contact.
But last week, a domestic flight in the US was evacuated after a replacement Note 7 started emitting smoke in the cabin. And a man in Kentucky reportedly woke up to a bedroom full of smoke from a replaced Note 7.
In an update on Monday, Samsung said it understood the concerns of carriers and consumers about the newly released replacement Note 7 devices.
"We continue to move quickly to investigate the reported case to determine the cause and will share findings as soon as possible," Samsung said.
"If we conclude a product safety issue exists, we will work with the CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) to take immediate steps to address the situation."
Shares in Samsung Electronics closed down 1.5% in Seoul.
Selene:
Brand damage
Eric Schiffer, a brand strategy expert at Reputation Management Consultants, said the company needed to take action to limit the harm to its image.
"If the Note 7 is allowed to continue, it could lead to the single greatest act of brand self-destruction in the history of modern technology," he said.
"Samsung needs to take a giant writedown and cast the Note 7 to the engineering hall of shame next to the Ford Pinto."
In 1977, the Pinto was the subject of a then-record US recall to address safety concerns.
April:
Samsung shares slide further after Note 7 crisis
Shares in Samsung fell further on Wednesday after the smartphone maker said it would scrap production of its flagship Note 7 model.
Shares fell 3% at the open, adding to Tuesday&`&s 8% fall.
The company has seen more than $20bn wiped off its market value in two days.
The Note 7 was recalled over exploding batteries in September but as new phones showed the same problems, the South Korean firm has now scrapped the device entirely.
Zoey:
The drop in shares marks a one-month low for Samsung as concerns grew that the current crisis will go beyond the costs of the recall and affect the brand&`&s overall reputation.
Analysts are suggesting the Note 7 crisis could cost Samsung in the long run, particularly coming just as rivals, including Google and Apple, have announced new high-end smartphones.
The Note 7 had been seen as the main rival to Apple&`&s new iPhone 7 model. Samsung&`&s woes have sent Apple&`&s shares to a 10-month high.
