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Samsung’s European president has said the technology giant “fell short” on its promise to offer “best-in-class safety and quality” following the recall of the Galaxy Note7 phone.
In an open letter to customers, YH Eom said the Korean firm was “truly sorry” for the safety issues that saw Samsung forced to discontinue the device in October, following a series of reports that the phone could overheat and explode during use.
He added that Samsung was still investigating the cause of the fires, which were initially attributed to faulty battery cells – however, safety issues continued after an original product recall, forcing Samsung to discontinue the phone.
“Because we had not gone on general sale in Europe with the Note7, there were a small number of affected customers here,” Mr Eom said.
“For those customers who received the device during the pre-order phase, we recognise that we have not lived up to your expectations, or our own high standards. For this we are truly sorry.
“We are working swiftly to ensure every Note7 device is safely returned. For those directly affected, we appreciate your patience throughout the replacement process.
“Samsung is fully committed to identifying and addressing the source of the Note7′s battery issue.
“We have already initiated investigations with independent third party experts to carefully revisit every aspect of the device, including the battery, hardware and software, and manufacturing processes. Once available, we will transparently share our findings.”
The technology giant has already reported a substantial financial hit following the crisis, with profits falling 30% in its most recent earnings report.
Some analysts have suggested Samsung may look to bring forward the release of its next major smartphone, likely to be the Galaxy S8, to earlier in 2017 in an attempt to speed up its recovery in both financial and reputation terms.
“Samsung has a long heritage of innovation and we have shown that we can and will learn from our mistakes,” Mr Eom said in his letter.
“While we are always looking to innovate and create the next generation of great consumer technology, safety will remain our top priority. We will invest to better serve your needs through enhanced customer care and quality assurance.
“On behalf of all our employees across Europe, we are truly sorry, and grateful for your ongoing support. We will listen to you, learn from this and act in a way that allows us to win back your trust.”
