Everything that’s happened since the Galaxy Note 7 went on sale
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has had an interesting ride since it was first announced back in August. It went from being crowned the king of smartphones for 2016 to a device that will cost its company at least $3.2 billion dollars in profit over the next two quarters. In fact, some analysts expect Samsung could lose $17 billion in total revenue from lost expected sales. It also leaves a vacuum in the mobile space as Samsung’s once stellar reputation has everyone’s mom asking, “Is my Samsung phone going to explode?”
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Timeline
- August 2: Samsung unveils the Galaxy Note 7 at an event in New York City.
- August 19: The Galaxy Note 7 goes on sale in South Korea and the United States.
- August 24: The first report of a Galaxy Note 7 fire happens in South Korea, but very few details are released.
- August 31: Samsung delays shipments of the phone to South Korea.
- September 1: The Galaxy Note 7 goes on sale in China.
- September 2: Samsung issues first recall of the Galaxy Note 7, saying supply chain partner Samsung SDI’s batteries are to blame for the initial malfunctions reported in the media. The phone remains on sale in China because a different partner supplied the batteries in those phones.
- September 8: The FAA recommends US passengers and crew not fly with Galaxy Note 7 devices that are turned on or charging, nor should they be stowed in cargo.
- September 15: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalls the Galaxy Note 7 and urges all consumers to return their devices to the manufacturer or carriers. They launch an investigation into other Samsung phones to determine if they have the same defect.
- September 16: Samsung’s president issues an official apology to Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners for the recall.
- September 17: Samsung announces it will re-open sales for the Galaxy Note 7 on September 28th.
- September 19: Samsung announces replaced Galaxy Note 7 devices will ship with a green battery. A man in Florida launches the first lawsuit against the company for burns he received after his phone erupted into flames in his pocket. A report from Bloomberg suggests Samsung rushed the Galaxy Note 7 in order to beat Apple’s iPhone 7 launch.
- September 22: Samsung issues a software update to the Galaxy Note 7 that only allows the device to charge to 60%.
- September 23: Reports from South Korea suggest replaced devices are having the same issues as the old devices. Samsung says these are isolated incidents and not related to the recalled devices.
- September 26: Another device from South Korea bursts into flames, prompting Samsung to delay the re-launch of the Galaxy Note 7 in its home country.
- September 27: A replacement Galaxy Note 7 explodes in China. The device is confirmed to be a replacement device that features the black box Samsung noted would distinguish new devices from old devices.
- October 3: Sales of the Galaxy Note 7 resume in South Korea with 30,000 devices reported to be sold in the first weekend.
- October 4: T-Mobile announces it will resume sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States on October 5th.
- October 5: A Galaxy Note 7 erupts into flames on a Southwest Airlines flight from Louisville to Baltimore. This phone is confirmed as a replacement Galaxy Note 7 through its IMEI number, sparking intense debate around the safety of new devices.
- October 7: Amid growing concerns surrounding the safety of all Galaxy Note 7 devices, all four major US carriers tell customers they can return the device for any other smartphone.
- October 10: Following more reports of replacement devices erupting into flames in the same manner as the original problem, all four major US carriers stop selling the Galaxy Note 7 altogether. Reports suggest Samsung has shut down production of the phone. Later that day it’s confirmed by Samsung that it has ceased Galaxy Note 7 production.
- October 13: The Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the second recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, making it illegal to sell the device anywhere in the United States.
- October 14: Samsung reveals that it expects to lose $3.1 billion dollars over the next two quarters thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Analysts expect the company could lose $17 billion in revenue from lost sales of the device.