Samsung Note 7 fire incident: Insider reveals: Apple's rush to meet deadlines caused the problem

According to foreign media reports, an insider recently revealed that the "battery fire and explosion" of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was related to a decision made by the company's top management to "speed up the process of launching new products to surpass Apple." However, Samsung never expected that the stone it lifted would actually hit its own foot.

Earlier this year, rumors about Apple's next iPhone began to leak out from the industry, and the Korean company's managers learned that Apple's new iPhone would not have any surprising innovations and would look exactly the same as the previous two products. Samsung then had its own plan to try to surpass Apple.

So Samsung Electronics Co. executives, including mobile chief DJ Koh, decided to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speed up the launch of a new phone that would please consumers and surpass Apple, one of the people said.

Another person with direct knowledge of the incident said that despite the addition of many new features to the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has repeatedly urged suppliers to speed up the production schedule to meet the launch of the Galaxy Note 7 on time. The Galaxy Note 7 uses a high-resolution edge screen, iris security recognition function, and a large-capacity, fast-charging battery.

But it didn't go as planned. Just days after Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 7, there were reports of fires and explosions in the Galaxy Note 7 batteries. By the end of August, there were dozens of cases of Galaxy Note 7 battery fires. Samsung realized that they were wrong! On September 2, Samsung held a press conference in Seoul, announcing that it would recall the 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s that had been shipped so far. Samsung had been on the verge of victory, but now it had to admit defeat.

But Samsung's subsequent recall policy was also criticized. First, it announced a recall plan to replace new phones for millions of users in 10 countries; then it sent mixed signals to customers, telling them what to do, first of all, to turn off the phones and stop using them; a few days later, Samsung released a patch to prevent battery overheating, suggesting that consumers can continue to use their phones.

"This has a huge impact on Samsung, and its reputation and ability to support its customers are called into question," said David Yoffie, a professor of management at Harvard Business School and a member of Intel's board of directors.

"The battery problems came at a time when Samsung's business was at its worst, and the company seemed to have delayed crisis communication," said Thomas Husson, an analyst at market research firm Forrester Research. "This may indeed be related to changes in Samsung's senior management."

Samsung declined to comment on whether it was informed of the new iPhone and released the Galaxy Note 7 in advance. "The timing of the launch of any new mobile product is determined by the mobile business department based on the development status and market readiness of the product," Samsung said in a statement. The company's current focus is on replacing products for customers as soon as possible. "For us at Samsung, it is very important to gain the trust of consumers."

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.