Samsung has received no reports of battery incidents related to the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus in the first 50 days the handsets have been available to the public.
The Korea Herald, citing “industry sources,” reported Sunday that since the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus released on April 21, there have been no reported incidents of exploding handsets.
The 50 days figure might be a bit random, but it does present some significance for Samsung, Slash Gear noted. When the Galaxy Note 7 was released last year, it received stellar reviews in its first few weeks. Everything changed after two months when users’ Galaxy Note 7 started exploding.
Sources said the absence of any incidents similar to the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 is due to Samsung’s “commitment to strict quality protocols across its entire development process.” Samsung introduced its 8-Point Battery Safety Check in January, and the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are its first flagship handsets to go through the company’s quality and safety standard.
Samsung also didn’t expand the battery capacity of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, and both shipped with 3,000 mAh and 3,500 mAh batteries, respectively. The Galaxy Note 7 shipped last year with a 3,500 mAh battery.
Samsung confirmed earlier this year the source of the issue that plagued the Note 7 was caused by problems in the batteries, which were provided by two suppliers. Batteries from Samsung SDI didn’t have enough room between the heat-sealed protective pouch around the battery while batteries from Amperex Technology lacked insulation tape and some batteries had protrusions inside the cell.
With the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, it appears as though Samsung has learned its lesson and has put the necessary precautions to avoid another battery-related debacle. Samsung’s 8-point Battery Safety Check included a large-scale battery charging and discharging test, an X-Ray test and even a durability test.
The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus already may be proving successful for Samsung, prompting the South Korean phone maker to go full steam ahead on future products. Samsung is already prepping a refurbished version of the Galaxy Note 7, which might end up being called the Note FE or the Note 7R.
The refurbished Note 7 is currently rumored to be released next month, the Korean site ETNews reported. The handset is said to come with new features including added support for Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, but consumers should expect it to look the same as the original Note 7. Previous reports claim the refurbished Note 7 might cost $656-$673.
The Korean site The Bell reported Samsung is also working on the Galaxy Note 8, which is currently rumored to arrive in mid-August, the same timeframe when the original Note 7 was released, Android Authority said.
It was originally believed Samsung would push back the release of the Note 8 to avoid any battery-related issues. However, the company seems to have accelerated the Note 8’s launch to get a head-start on Apple’s much-rumored iPhone 8.