Galaxy Note 7

1 million Note 7 recalled so far, but Samsung has another exploding problem on its hands

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 29, 2016

Following an unprecedented global recall of at least 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones due to faulty batteries causing some of the units to catch fire, Samsung today told Reuters that more than one million people worldwide are now using Galaxy Note 7 smartphones with batteries that are not vulnerable to overheating and catching fire. However, the firm has another problem on its hands: exploding washing machines. It's certainly been a rough month for Samsung.

Yesterday, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission warned owners of certain top-loading Samsung washing machines of “safety issues” following reports that some have exploded.

Video: iPhone 7 running circles around Note 7 in terms of switching apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 19, 2016

Apple makes the fastest smartphone chips on the planet and the iPhone 7's in-house designed A10 Fusion chip has given top Android handset makers who buy off-the-shelf processors plenty to worry about. Tight interplay between Apple-designed silicon, operating system, apps and services gives the iPhone a distinct advantage over competitors when it comes to smooth app switching and multitasking.

A non-scientific video put together by YouTuber PhoneBuff, which compares app loading and switching times on the iPhone 7 and Samsung's latest Note 7, highlights the benefits of designing the hardware and software under one roof as Apple's new phone with half the Note 7's RAM runs circles around Samsung's exploding flagship in terms of loading and switching apps.

Bloomberg: Note 7 fires result of Samsung’s rush to beat “dull” iPhone 7 to market

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 19, 2016

After they began hearing earlier this year that the iPhone 7 would look just like the previous two models, the top brass at Samsung Electronics, including its mobile chief D.J. Koh, have made the decision to outmaneuver Apple and move up the launch of the Note 7 to early August. In hindsight, it was a risky, ill-fated move that has backfired and damaged Samsung's brand and reputation.

In its desire to beat the “dull” iPhone 7 to market, Samsung pushed suppliers to meet tighter deadlines which caused problems with the handset's battery, according to a report Monday from Bloomberg citing “people familiar with the matter”.

Samsung issues global Note 7 recall after complaints of exploding batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 2, 2016

It looked like Samsung was well poised to steal some of Apple's thunder by releasing its Note 7 phablet with a redesigned appearance and wraparound screen ahead of Apple's iPhone 7 event. But following reports from users around the world about a battery issue that has caused some handsets to catch fire or explode, Samsung has now announced plans to recall every single Note 7 sold in order to prevent further damage and has also abandoned today's scheduled Note 7 launch in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Galaxy Note 7 vs. iPhone 6s real-life speed test proves specs aren’t everything

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 23, 2016

In spite of running Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit Snapdragon 820 processor with four CPU cores, Adreno 530 graphics and 4GB of RAM, Samsung's latest Galaxy Note 7 phablet delivers embarrassing real-world performance when pitted against almost-a-year-older iPhone 6s and its in-house designed A9 chip with two CPU cores and just 2GB of RAM.

As seen in this side-by-side video comparison from YouTuber PhoneBuff, the iPhone 6s easily beats the latest Note when it comes to loading apps and games, thanks to the combination of efficient iOS software and Apple's custom-designed hardware.

This is how I know Samsung will ditch the headphone jack

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 11, 2017

Three days ago, Samsung of South Korea took the wraps off its flagship Galaxy Note 7 phablet. It's a cool, powerful smartphone that features a curved 5.7-inch AMOLED screen, Galaxy S7-like design, speedy chips, an iris scanner and an improved S Pen (which has learned a few new tricks, like translating words, and is now waterproof itself).

Believe it or not, a Samsung executive during the Note 7 unveiling mocked live, on stage, Apple's rumored decision to remove the 3.5mm audio jack from the next iPhone.

“You know what else it [Note 7] comes with? An audio jack. I’m just saying,” he quipped.