Samsung Galaxy Note 7 shipments delayed due to additional quality control testing

THE WORLD’S biggest smartphone maker has delayed shipments of its latest flagship device following reports of exploding batteries.

THE WORLD’S biggest smartphone maker has delayed shipments of its latest flagship device following reports of exploding batteries.

Samsung Electronics said it needed to conduct additional quality control on its premium Galaxy Note 7, which was released in Australia on August 19.

“Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 are being delayed due to additional tests being conducted for product quality,” a Samsung spokesman told Reuters.

The Korean manufacturer wouldn’t elaborate on what was being tested and what markets would have delayed shipments.

Despite this lack of information, speculation is growing the quality control of Samsung’s premium device has to do with reports of exploding batteries.

According to Reuters, South Korean media reports said there had been multiple cases of the battery from the device exploding during charging.

While international models have slightly different hardware configurations to those in Korea, the batteries are identical.

This could be the reason for ‘additional tests being conducted for product quality’.

As the Galaxy Note 7 is the first Samsung smartphone to have a USB-C connector, it has been suggested third-party charging cables might be the culprit.

This wouldn’t be the first time non-compliant third-party USB-C cables have caused damage, with reports of laptops suffering the same fate.

In February, Google engineer Benson Leung claimed a third-party USB-C cable destroyed his Chromebook Pixel.

If the exploding battery is confirmed to be true, it could be a massive blow for the tech giant, with Samsung relying on the sales of the device to maintain momentum in the second half of this year.

Currently, the Samsung website says the device is “temporarily out of stock”, so it’s unclear if the Australian market will be delayed.

It is also unclear if Australians who have already purchased the device could be affected.

News.com.au has contacted Samsung Australia for comment.

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