After all the leaks, rumors and hype surrounding the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Electronics took the wraps off of its next-generation flagship phablet early last month, at Unpacked in New York City. The device went on sale in a number of countries over the following weeks amid glowing reviews from large sections of the media and public alike. However, shortly after its launch, several users started reporting that their brand new phablets are turning into giant fireballs, destroying not just the device itself, but apparently burning down automobiles and setting houses on fire. An internal investigation into the alleged incidents led Samsung Electronics to initiate a global recall of around 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 units because of a critical flaw in the batteries manufactured by its group company, Samsung SDI.
However, even as Galaxy Note 7 units selling in most regions around the world were said to be affected by the issue, the devices that were being sold in China were said to be safe for use. That’s because the SKUs meant for the Chinese market had batteries manufactured by Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) and not Samsung SDI. That being the case, reports out of China earlier today about an alleged Galaxy Note 7 fire in the country created quite a stir online. According to a statement from online retailer JD.com, Samsung had apparently been investigating reports of a fire that was said to have been caused by an overheating Galaxy Note 7. Reports now suggest that the beleaguered South Korean tech company has finally come out with its assessment of the incident.
According to a post on its official Chinese language website, Samsung has apparently concluded that the battery was not to blame for the fire that destroyed the Galaxy Note 7 in China. According to the company, “the damage to this product was caused by external heating”. While Samsung Electronics refused to divulge any further details regarding its investigations into the fire, Amperex, on its part, released a statement to the media earlier today confirming that the device in question indeed had one of its batteries inside. However, the company was quick to shoot down any suggestions of any liability on its part, saying that the burn marks on the device led its investigators to “surmise that the source of the heating comes from outside the battery, and it’s very likely that there was an external factor causing the heating problem”.