What would happen if the Samsung Note 7 had not been recalled?

According to foreign media reports, the farce of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 seems to be over, but the problem may still reappear. Although Samsung has recalled most of the Note 7 worldwide, there are still many Samsung fans who continue to use this product. The phones still in use on the market can let us see what will happen to the Note 7 if Samsung does not initiate a full recall.

Samsung recalled the Note 7 in October 2016 due to multiple fire and explosion incidents. Since the final recall, there have been no other reports of Note 7 explosions or injuries, but some believe that even if it does not spontaneously combust, the Note 7 is destined to have other malfunctions.

“For the products that are still in use, over time you’re going to see the battery bulge,” said Wayne Lam, principal analyst for mobile electronics at IHS Markit. “When the battery bulges, the whole device gets jostled. The frame will pop.”

Last week, Samsung released the results of its investigation into the Note 7 incident, pointing out that the problem was mainly with the battery. Samsung said that the two batteries used in the Note 7 had different defects, which led to the short circuit and explosion. But Wayne Lin believes that it is very likely that the Note 7 itself has a design defect, which is also one of the reasons for the accident.

Samsung did not focus on this aspect in the investigation. An independent investigation of the Note 7 by a third party showed that the battery package was too small to accommodate a 3500 mAh battery cell. In December 2016, a disassembly from Intrumental showed that the Note 7 would gradually crack due to the inability to accommodate the natural expansion of the battery.

For Samsung, the Note 7's most important innovation is becoming its most serious obstacle. When the Note 7 was released, Samsung heavily promoted its unique design. The Note 7 is Samsung's first tablet phone with curved screens on both sides. Samsung senior designer Hong Yeo said in August last year that with this design, the Note 7 is 2.2 mm narrower than the previous generation Note 5.

The Note 7's battery packaging results in higher pressure inside the battery. Modern batteries are already extremely dense, and the Note 7's energy density is about 22% higher than the previous Note 5. It's also more energy dense than the 3,600mAh battery in the Galaxy S7 Edge, which has a similar design to the Note 7.

“The basic technology of batteries has not changed,” said Wayne Lin. “Packaging more and more energy into smaller and smaller spaces creates safety risks. You don’t have much room for error. Unless the battery cell is manufactured perfectly, something will always go wrong.”

Although the explosion and fire of the phone was the direct cause of Samsung's recall of the Note 7, the deformation of the battery during long-term use may also have prompted Samsung's decision to recall the phone. Wayne Lin pointed out that when the device was still on the market, Samsung was forced to admit that the Note 7 might have other malfunctions.

In addition to product recalls and calls for replacements or refunds, Samsung has also pushed software updates to the remaining devices on the market. According to CNBC, there are still about 76,000 Note 7s in use in the US market. Many of these users have found ways to bypass Samsung's upgrades or choose to ignore Samsung's notifications to shut down the Note 7.

Several Note 7 users said online that they planned to continue using the phone until the release of the Note 8. They did not think their phones were dangerous.

Fans' loyalty to the Samsung brand may be what keeps them using the Note 7. It's very likely that even more Note 7 users would have continued to use the phone if Samsung hadn't issued the final recall.

Since the media event for the Note 7, Samsung seems to have set its sights on the future, including hinting at the release of the Galaxy S8 and confirming that the Note 8 will be launched later this year. Samsung said that new products will be rigorously tested in a new eight-point safety check system to rebuild user trust.

“The real purpose of these quality checks is to calm market concerns,” Lin said. “Big companies need to do this to admit mistakes and take responsibility.”

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.