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The topic of this research paper is technological failures using the example of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. This topic is significant because the commercial production of technology is not always successful, and some errors can lead to consequences, such as the one that Samsung faced. Learning about these errors is important to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. This paper will present research topics on the technological failure of Samsung Galaxy 7 smartphones, their causes, and their consequences.
Samsung released their Galaxy 7 smartphones in 2016, and shortly after the release, the customer began to report cases of the phones catching on fire or exploding. Such reports are a serious concern as these incidents may cause substantial harm to consumers. Since this problem occurred in 2017, currently, there has been sufficient research and understanding of why the batteries inflamed. According to Heatman, these devices caught on fire due to two production faults with the batteries; the first was over battery size. The batteries manufactured by Samsungs subsidiary business were too small in one corner, causing negative electrodes to bend and increasing the probability of short-circuiting. The second problem included batteries from a third-party vendor, Amperex Technology Ltd, which were discovered to be improperly welded (Heatman). The remaining points on the batteries were able to pierce the protective shielding. Hence, the issues that caused the Galaxy 7 phones to inflame were due to design flaws and improper manufacturing, more specifically, the flaw in the design of the batteries.
Samsung could have potentially enhanced the design by adding insulation to address the battery issue. Another issue that BBC points out is the insulation of the battery that was insufficient. Therefore, there was a potential for improving the product if Samsung wanted to address this problem by changing the design instead of issuing a recall. The flaws, according to the research, were caused by insufficient insulating material within the batteries and a design that did not provide enough area for the batteries electrodes to be securely accommodated (BBC). Thus, despite the flaw in the design of the battery, there was a way of enhancing its design of it.
Issues such as the one experienced by Samsung cause companies substantial financial losses and reputational issues for the brand. Heatman states that Samsung had to involve three independent organizations in the investigation, apart from its quality department, to find and confirm the cause of the explosions. Still, the corporation managed to be profitable during the year of the release as its other products were selling well. However, if Samsung failed to investigate and address the problem, the company might have lost its profits as consumers would have been scared to purchase their products.
Another important aspect of this investigation is the fact that Samsungs innovation led to the explosions. Since Samsung made the battery smaller by reducing thickness margins, the separators between the positive and negative layers may have been excessively thin, increasing the possibility of these elements contacting and sparking (Heatman). As a result, the battery in Note 7 did not have enough physical space for error. Thus, the companys efforts to create a better and thinner product have led to a flaw that affected the infallibility of the devices. This shows that the strive to innovate can sometimes lead to unexpected consequences.
As consumer gadget makers aggressively seek more battery energy, cases of field failure are becoming more common. Notably, in 2017, Samsung issued a press announcement following a comprehensive product recall of their Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone, confirming concerns that the incidents were caused by the battery and its manufacturing method (Loveridge et al., 10). Li-ion cell designs, component integrity, and manufacturing procedures all have a significant impact on Li-ion battery safety and, therefore, on the safety of the entire device. Any faulty internal characteristics that cause a short circuit can cause a thermal runaway, mainly a chain of processes that leads to a fire. Thus, Samsung is not the only company that has faced similar issues and design flaws connected to batteries, and they strive for the company to create better designs of products.
The customers expectation of innovation has pressured firms to create better new products. As new economic demands on innovation emerge, the costs of new product research and development are rising, and product life cycles are shortening (Yun et al., 20). Several aspects result in innovation, such as the dynamic combination of exploitation and exploration, the open combination of absorption and distribution, the vertical combination of upstream and downstream, the functional combination of intensive and extensive, and the numerous combinations of synergic and sporadic (Yun et al., 20). Digital technologies, with computer hardware, software, and networks at their core, are not new, and it is difficult to innovate in this sector. However, as the economy becomes more complex and interwoven during the third revolution, they are reshaping it. This is one of the aspects that has led to Samsungs design flaw since this company aimed to innovate in the sector where it is difficult to develop new products.
As a result of the problems with their Galaxy 7 smartphones, Samsung had to issue a recall. The companys specialists performed an analysis of the products lifecycle to determine how the flaws might have emerged throughout the manufacturing of the product (Zhang, 68). This analysis required an assessment of both the software and hardware components of the product. Hence, Samsungs specialists had to employ in-depth analysis to find the cause of their design flaws.
In summary, this paper is a report on technological failures using the example of the Samsung Galaxy 7. The findings of the report suggest that the main reason why this launch failed was the design flaw of the battery due to the companys desire to make the phones thinner. This research helps me understand the course material better because it is a real-life case of a multinational corporation that has created an innovative product with a serious technological flaw. I was interested in this project because I remember the release and the scandal involving the Galaxy 7 smartphones. At that time, I could not understand why Samsung did not fix the issue right away. However, after completing this research paper, I understand that the technology firm invested in investigating the issue. Still, the attempts directed at resolving these issues were unsuccessful and led to the new batch of smartphones having the same defect. This paper informs the sources from the course because it allows an understanding of some of the processes that technology firms have and the underlying principles of work.
Work Cited
BBC. Samsung confirms battery faults as cause of Note 7 fires , BBC. Web.
Heatman, Amanda. We Finally Know Why Samsungs Galaxy Note 7S Exploded . WIRED.
Loveridge, Melanie et al. Looking Deeper into the Galaxy (Note 7) , Batteries, vol. 4, no. 1, 2018, p. 3.
Yun, Jinhyo J. et al. Benefits and Costs of Closed Innovation Strategy: Analysis of Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 Explosion and Withdrawal Scandal , Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 20.
Zhang, W. Crisis PR Study on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Explosion Incident , International Journal of Business and Management, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 68-76.
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