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[scion]

Battery crackdown to prevent repeat of Samsung's Note 7 debacle

By Cara McGoogan 6 FEBRUARY 2017 • 5:54PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/02/06/battery-crackdown-prevent-repeat-samsungs-note-7-debacle/

Electronics manufacturers will be subject to more stringent safety regulations following the global recall of Samsung's faulty Galaxy Note 7 phone that overheated and, in some cases, exploded.

The South Korean government has said it will conduct regular inspections and impose strict safety requirements for manufacturers that use lithium-ion batteries following the Samsung case, which became a global embarrassment for the company.

"We ask that the industry shares the view that making efforts to ensure safety is equally as critical as developing new products through technological innovation," said Jeong Marn-ki, the South Korean vice minister for trade, industry and energy.

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A fault with the Note 7 batteries caused the overheating problem CREDIT: AP

The government's crackdown comes as a Korean watchdog confirmed Samsung's findings that the problem with the Note 7 originated in faulty batteries. The electronics giant's investigation into the cause of the fires found that lithium-ion batteries from two manufacturers were to blame.

The watchdog hasn't announced any penalties for Samsung, which discontinued the high-end Note 7 phone in a debacle that wiped $5.4 billion (£4.3bn) from its operating profit. As well as introducing more scrutiny for manufacturers on the whole, the government said it will monitor Samsung's safety procedures closely.

Samsung last month delayed the release of its upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone following an internal investigation and said "the lessons of this incident are deeply reflected in our culture and process".
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/02/06/battery-crackdown-prevent-repeat-samsungs-note-7-debacle/