Samsung Unveils Note8, Saying Battery Safety Has Improved
With passing reference to the faulty battery issue for the Galaxy Note7 a year ago, DJ Koh, president of Samsung’s mobile communications business, unveiled the Galaxy Note8 in New York Wednesday. “Of course, none of us will ever forget what happened last year. I know, I’m one,” the executive said. Koh quickly pivoted to: “Millions of dedicated Note loyalists stayed with us.”
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In a nod to Note7 users burned by the product recall, Samsung said it has a “special offer” through the company website whereby former Note7 owners can receive instant trade-in value of up to $425 when they upgrade their current phone for a Note8.
When we asked Samsung North America CEO Tim Baxter after the event how the company will reassure consumers that battery issues won’t surface in the latest-generation Note, he cited the company’s eight-point battery check put in place in January. “Our safety standards have continued to improve,” Baxter said, citing the 20 million Galaxy S8 smartphones the company has shipped since spring “without incident.” Samsung is “very confident on the process improvement and our track record,” he said.
“As long as there are no major problems with the 8, it won’t be an issue," analyst Jack Gold emailed: “Most consumers have forgotten (or forgiven them) for the battery failures in the Note 7.”
IHS analyst Ian Fogg said the continued use of the Note brand “after the dramatic recall" of the Note7 last year, is a "calculated risk for Samsung.” The company tested the ongoing appeal of the Note brand in South Korea through the launch of the Note Fan Edition in the spring, repacking Note7 hardware with a smaller battery, Fogg said. In other markets, Samsung relied on market research, he said, noting Note smartphones are “one of the most differentiated parts of Samsung’s mobile portfolio” and a category the company wants to “continue to own.”
The Note8 will give a major boost to the addressable market for Google’s Daydream VR platform because the Note8 will be compatible out of the box, Fogg said. The virtual reality platform has been “held back” by the lack of smartphones supporting it, he said. In addition to major carriers, the phone will be available at Samsung.com, Best Buy, Target and Walmart, beginning Sept. 15, Samsung said. At least one carrier touted a promotion around the smartphone, and a Samsung spokeswoman said those buying the device from their wireless provider will get extra, related products.
Senior Vice President Justin Denison took a swipe at Apple, to applause, saying the headphone cable plugs into the phone’s standard headphone jack, a feature Apple did away with in the iPhone 7. Specifications are here.