Samsung Electronics Co Ltd suspended production of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after reports of fires in replacement devices added to the tech giant’s worst ever recall crisis.
Top U.S. and Australian carriers also suspended sales or exchanges of Note 7s, while major airlines reiterated bans on passengers using the phones, after smoke from a replacement device forced the evacuation of a passenger plane in the United States last week.
Fires in phones that were meant to replace devices that had been recalled because of their propensity to explode would be a disaster for the world’s largest smartphone maker, suggesting it has failed to fix a problem that has already hurt its brand and threatens to derail a recovery in its mobile business.
“If the Note 7 is allowed to continue it could lead to the single greatest act of brand self-destruction in the history of modern technology,” said Eric Schiffer, brand strategy expert and chairman of Reputation Management Consultants told Reuters.
“Samsung needs to take a giant write-down and cast the Note 7 to the engineering hall of shame next to the Ford Pinto.”
In a regulatory filing, Samsung said it was “adjusting” shipments of Note 7s to allow for inspections and stronger quality control due to some devices catching fire.
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