When it comes to a large corporation dropping the ball and negatively impacting consumers, I immediately go back to the recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. I used to work retail for a large cellular company here in town. During the time of the Galaxy Note 7 launch, consumers were eager to get their hands on the latest phone from Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S series was 1 generation ahead at the time (Note 5 came out during the Galaxy s6). So samsung decided to ultimately skip the Note 6 and named their next Note product the Note 7 to be within the timeframe of the Galaxy S7.
Shortly after the release, there were reports around the globe of the battery overheating leading to the phone exploding. I distinctly remember reading reports on phones abruptly exploding in people’s pockets leading to second degree burns. I also recall seeing footage of a Jeep that was set ablaze and completely destroyed due to a Galaxy Note 7 that was left in the vehicle. Luckily there were no reports of anyone dying in relation to the Galaxy Note 7 battery issues, but there was definitely potential for casualties. i have to give props to my former employer’s quality assurance team for keeping the phones in warehouse (eventually sending back to Samsung) during that controversial period. Our company was able to avoid potential disasters.
This was a huge deal for Samsung given that they were releasing one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year. The rush to release resulted in a manufacturer defect in the battery resulting in phones being set ablaze. There were even reports of replacement phones catching fire. Eventually Samsung discontinued production of the Galaxy Note 7. It just goes show that Samsung was so eager to hit the marketplace before the competitors (Apple in this instance), that they rushed their product resulting in lawsuits, consumer injuries, and a distrust between consumer and seller. While Samsung is still a relevant entity and his since regained trust in its products, there was a time where people were wary of purchasing anything samsung.
I’ve attached video compilation of the Galaxy Note 7 which also shows some of the reports that I mentioned above.