Samsung can only point a finger at itself when it comes to taking responsibility for its exploding Note 7 nightmare.
While many other smartphone manufacturers test their batteries at independently run labs, a new report revealed that Samsung tested the battery for its Galaxy Note 7 device in-house.
It's common for smartphone makers, like Apple for example, to trust third-party companies to conduct testing on its batteries. In fact, in order to be able to sell the device through the major U.S. carriers, manufacturers must test their batteries at a lab that is certified by the CTIA, the U.S. wireless industry's trade group, in order to make sure they meet the standards put in place by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. There are currently 28 labs that are CTIA-certified.
But according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the South Korean company decided to take matters into its own hands since it tested the Note 7 its batteries for self-CTIA certification at its in-house lab. It has been testing its phones in its own lab certified by the CTIA since 2009.
In Samsung's defense, its in-house testing facility didn't find any problems with the batteries that came with the original batch of Note 7 phones or the replacements. Of course, this was not really the case after the smartphone was originally recalled globally last month after at least 92 reports of overheating were made since the smartphone launched in August. Then production stopped last week, officially discontinuing the device after reports began to surface that the replacements that were shipped were also allegedly exploding.
This means that Samsung is the only one to blame for the serious safety issue and PR disaster that its exploding Note 7 batteries have become. Not to mention that in-house testing could appear to be a conflict of interest.
While there clearly has been a problem with the smartphone, Samsung has yet to uncover exactly why some of its Note 7 phones have overheated and caught on fire.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has now banned the Galaxy Note 7 from commercial airlines to prevent injury and safety risks. Those with the device will be prohibited from boarding their flight, and those who check in the phone in their luggage can face criminal prosecution.
Japan has also followed suit and banned the Note 7 from planes. AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand have all announced bans on the phone.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
