Samsung Galaxy S7. Image: Leszek Kobusinski/Shutterstock
Just when Samsung thought the saga surrounding the combustible Galaxy Note7 might be over, news has come through that yet another phone has exploded, a totally different one this time.
The seemingly endless saga of the exploding Note7 resulted in not only a financial hit of a few billion dollars for Samsung, but the resulting attention it got online turned it into one of – if not the – biggest tech PR disasters of the past few decades.
Just as things have appeared to have quietened downm since the company ordered a full recall and stoppage of production of the phone, there is news that its flagship phone, the Galaxy S7, is also caught up in the scandal.
According to CTV News in Canada, a man named Amarjit Mann was driving in his car when he suddenly felt his Galaxy S7 overheating in his pocket.
He took it out and it exploded in his hand, resulting in the entire car filling with smoke.
Mann needed to go to a hospital to receive treatment for severe burns on both his hands and wrist, which will put him out of work for up to four weeks as they heal.
“I should’ve lost my eyes, or my cheeks, or anything could have happened,” Mann said.
“I luckily threw it outside. It should have damaged my whole car. I just saw smoke and nothing else.”
Freak accident or sign of fault?
There has been no comment from Mann himself as to whether there could have been any reason why his phone alone might have exploded.
Despite the failure of the Note7, the Galaxy S7 had remained unscathed throughout the ordeal, remaining a favourite of critics and users.
However, as Samsung gears up towards an announcement and release of the Galaxy S8, the South Korean company will be hoping that this incident in Canada is just an oddity, rather than a potentially damaging fault.
Responding to news of the incident, a spokesperson for Samsung in Canada has said to CTV News that it will not comment on what could have caused the explosion without looking at the device first.
“Customer safety remains our highest priority and we remain committed to working with any customer who has experienced an issue with a Samsung product,” the Samsung spokesperson said.
Samsung Galaxy S7. Image: Leszek Kobusinski/Shutterstock
