Samsung used its press conference at Mobile World Congresss (MWC) to assure customers it had learned the lessons from the massive recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and vowed to regain trust through “actions not words”.
The critically-acclaimed phablet was recalled after several incidents of fires caused by faulty batteries and the product was discontinued as a result. Some airlines even demanded owners turn their device off before they could travel, such was the widespread concern.
In addition to the reputational damage sustained by the event, Samsung’s profits and revenues were also hit and the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone has apparently been delayed.
“The past six months have undoubtedly been one of the most challenging periods in our history,” admitted David Lowes, chief marketing officer for Samsung in Europe. “We did not meet the high standards of quality and excellence we expect from our selves. We will learn every lesson possible and understand regaining consumer trust can only be achieved through actions not words.”
He said all devices were now subject to an “eight point” battery safety check and that a group comprising academics and researchers had been established to avoid such a catastrophic recall ever taking place again.
Samsung’s press conference started with a video demonstrating some of the additional testing measures and Lowes claimed the recovery would show the resilience of the Samsung brand.
“Thank you to our current customers who stayed loyal to Samsung and the millions of new customers who made Samsung Galaxy S7 one of the most successful smartphones ever,” added Lowes.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 may have been delayed by the debacle, but Samsung has announced two new tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is an Android flagship slate while the Windows 10-powered Galaxy Book is a 2 in 1 device to rival the Microsoft Surface.
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