The world’s biggest smartphone maker is seeking to put behind it one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history as it prepares to launch the Galaxy S8, one of its flagship phones, sometime in the first half of 2016.
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd inquiry into what caused some Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to catch fire has concluded that the battery was the main reason.
The results of the investigation will likely be announced on Jan. 23, a day before it announces detailed fourth-quarter earnings results, , a person privy to matter told Reuters on Monday, January 16.
Investors and analysts say it is critical for Samsung to provide a convincing and detailed explanation about what went wrong with the Note 7 and how it will prevent such problems from recurring if it is to regain consumer trust.
“They’ve got to make sure they come clean and they’ve got to reassure buyers as to why this won’t happen again,” said Bryan Ma, Singapore-based analyst for researcher IDC.
Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung’s mobile business, will likely announce the results as well as new measures the firm is taking to prevent similar problems in future devices, the person said.
Samsung initially announced a recall of some 2.5 million Note 7 phones in September and identified the cause of the fire as a manufacturing process problem at one of its suppliers, later identified as affiliate Samsung SDI Co Ltd (006400.KS).
The company in October said it will examine all aspects of the phone, including hardware design and software, and would hire third-party firms as part of its probe.
