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Samsung Takes Out Full-page Ads on WSJ, NYTimes, and WaPo To Apologize For Note 7 Defects (theguardian.com)

Posted by msmash on from the apology-in-print dept.

Samsung has taken out a full-page advert in multiple US newspapers to apologise for the faulty Note 7 phone, which has now been subject to a worldwide recall. From a report on the Guardian, shared by an anonymous reader:The advert in Monday's Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post, is signed by Samsung's North America chief executive, Gregory Lee. It offers an apology for falling short on the company's ambition to "offer best-in-class safety and quality. We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including all hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure," Lee wrote. "We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers." The apology focuses on the Note 7, which was supposed to be Samsung's flagship extra-large phone until it was revealed that it had a dangerous tendency to overheat and catch fire.Earlier this month, ahead of Microsoft unveiling Microsoft Teams, rival app Slack also did a full-page ad, mocking Microsoft. Perhaps, these ads will keep newspapers afloat in the years to come.

58 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Batteries by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Allow your batteries to be replaced by mere mortals and all will be forgiven.

    --

    To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

    1. Re:Batteries by Ravaldy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Eventually the company you have chosen will make a mistake as well. You will be forced to accept it or have to move on to the next manufacturer. With that mentality you'll eventually run out of options and will have to get a Windows Phone. I pity you.

    2. Re:Batteries by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      As even phones with replacement batteries were still overheating, the issue wasn't isolated to just the battery itself. Having a user removable battery wouldn't have solved the problem and the phones would need to be recalled. Perhaps after several months a new battery could be designed in such a way to be resilient to whatever was causing the problem, but there's no guarantee of such depending on the root cause, and it would still mean several months of consumers not being able to use their device.

      There are arguments to be made for use replaceable batteries, but this is not one of them.

    3. Re:Batteries by kuzb · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Samsung is bending over backwards to try to make this right, which is a lot more than some companies do. Yeah they fucked up, but I have to give them some credit for the steps they've taken. At no point did they try to shift blame off of themselves or downplay the problem. It's almost refreshing to see a massive company take responsibility for their actions.

      When the first generation Macbook airs showed up with defects that caused overheating leading to the machine throttling what did Apple do? Point you at their overpriced Apple Care solution. When the iphone 4 showed up with a defective antenna design? You're holding it wrong!

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    4. Re:Batteries by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      I bought a Pixel and I'm not looking back.

      Great, because your money isn't looking back either.

    5. Re:Batteries by rasmusbr · · Score: 1

      No it won't. I'll never own a Samsung product again, phone or otherwise.

      I bought a Pixel and I'm not looking back.

      Yeah, the good thing about Android is that you have plenty of phones to chose from if a manufacturer messes up.

      I for one find Samsung's efforts acceptable for now. I expect they'll keep me and other Samsung customers updated until they've figured out what went wrong with the Note 7.

      I don't think I will ever again buy a Samsung phone in the first 6 months or so after release. (I bought the S6 a few months after it came out. I did not buy the Note 7.)

    6. Re:Batteries by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      Given how well the technology industry has managed to standardize on so many other connectors and formats, I'm sure standardized batteries will be a walk in the park.

    7. Re:Batteries by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      Eventually the company you have chosen will make a mistake as well. You will be forced to accept it or have to move on to the next manufacturer. With that mentality you'll eventually run out of options and will have to get a Windows Phone.

      Not sure why this is modded Insightful.

      If we choose a company that makes poor replacement batteries, we will move on to the next company, and the first one will either improve the quality of their batteries, or cease to exist. New companies may choose to get into the business as well if there is market demand, giving the consumer more choices.

      If we can't find a good Samsung replacement battery company, we might choose another handset maker that does not have as many issues.
      If you want evidence to support that, there is already info being put out tracking how the Note 7 issue is effecting cell phone sales from various manufacturers.

      This is how the free market works.

    8. Re:Batteries by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      At no point did they try to shift blame off of themselves or downplay the problem.

      Oh yes, in the beginning they did. Please peddle your apologist bullshit somewhere else.

    9. Re:Batteries by voss · · Score: 1

      Thats why I just bought zte zmax. Not a top of the line phone by any stretch but affordable and the batteries are replaceable and cost $20 each

    10. Re:Batteries by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Samsung is bending over backwards to try to make this right

      Sure, they'll exchange your phone before it starts on fire. However, if it's already started on fire - taking some of your house with it - they wont return your phone calls.

      When the iphone 4 showed up with a defective antenna design? You're holding it wrong!

      Psst. Fandroid. Yes, you. Check this out for a second and count the number of Samsung devices on the first page. Now, what you were you saying with the iPhone 4?

      Yes there's a difference in the severity of the problems as they relate to public safety - unless of course you're trying to make a critical phone call using a defective iphone 4. However there's also a difference in how the customers were treated. Apple customers are habitually treated like shit. Of course this is only one example of a company that thinks so little of its customers that it would blame them for a problem they created.

      You were saying, Hateboi? Apple has dominated hardware reliability surveys since the Precambrian era of computing and smart phones.

  2. Coincidentally.. by nightfire-unique · · Score: 5, Funny

    Coincidentally, former Note 7 owners are probably the only ones reading paper newspapers at the moment.

    Schwing!

    --
    A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
    1. Re:Coincidentally.. by kuzb · · Score: 2

      If Wayne's World taught us anything, it's that there's only one thing that goes "Schwing!".

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    2. Re:Coincidentally.. by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      He probably meant "Bazinga!"

  3. That'll cover ~ 5M people by cliffjumper222 · · Score: 1

    It's interesting how the full-page newspaper ad still holds so much gravitas. Doing it in these papers will apparently reach about 5 million people upper-middle-class and financial types. Not a bad move for damage control.

    WSJ - 2,378,827
    NYT - 1,865,318
    WP - 474,767

    Total 4,718,912 average circulation.

    1. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by toadlife · · Score: 1

      Well, there are also many stories talking about the ad, so many millions more will know about it.

      --
      I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
    2. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but they'll have to spend an ADDITIONAL roughly $500k to reach them.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    3. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      It's interesting how the full-page newspaper ad still holds so much gravitas. Doing it in these papers will apparently reach about 5 million people upper-middle-class and financial types. Not a bad move for damage control.

      WSJ - 2,378,827 NYT - 1,865,318 WP - 474,767

      Total 4,718,912 average circulation.

      But they all use iPhones; so all they'll do is shrug and chuckle a bit.

    4. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but they'll have to spend an ADDITIONAL roughly $500k to reach them.

      Maybe next time they'll put that $500k to better use: Designing a battery charger that doesn't overheat their batteries!

    5. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      Or a lid that doesn't fly off their washing machines.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    6. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by hackel · · Score: 1

      I'm continuously shocked whenever I hear about how many paper newspaper subscribers there are out there. I want news journalism to succeed somehow, but I very much want paper to go away. It's horribly wasteful and terrible for the environment, not just for the paper but primarily for the ridiculous delivery infrastructure it requires and all of the carbon emitted by it. We really need to figure out how to get people to pay for digital journalism that is a level above the typical Buzzfeed drivel.

    7. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Publishing in newspapers has adds legal gravitas to what someone is saying. Foreclosures and all kinds of other legal proceedings are still published in newspapers to make public notification 'official'.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    8. Re:That'll cover ~ 5M people by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> Doing it in these papers will apparently reach about 5 million people

      Well, if they just kept churning out exploding phones and flying washing machine lids they'd have the opportunity to reach many more.

  4. What Samsung has to do by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 2

    Samsung has to show that it is a company on fire, that will next with a batch of products nothing short of explosive, which will no doubt do wonders to rekindle the fire in the hearts and minds of its customers.

    1. Re:What Samsung has to do by nick4wo · · Score: 1

      Not to mention Samsung is already gearing up its launch for its next samsung galaxy. way too soon, i would wait for the phone fire issues to resolve itself before rushing to launch another model.

      --
      Nick | http://4wheelonline.com
    2. Re:What Samsung has to do by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      "..rekindle the fire in the hearts and minds and pants of its customers"

  5. Re:Proactive apology by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

    They should. I don't think they have that much self awareness though.

    (not that most companies do)

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  6. Yea, right, corruption. by I4ko · · Score: 1

    Is that the same Samsung that is currently being investigated for corrupting the president of South Korea. A president that is currently only supported by 5% of the country population. Those sameshit guys have it coming big way.

  7. Rail Gun by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    800,000.00 per round, on that new rail gun. Just grab all the Samsung washers, Samsung phones, Throw the phones in the washers, set them on spin, fire them at the bad guys...LOTS cheaper!

    1. Re:Rail Gun by EvilSS · · Score: 1

      800,000.00 per round, on that new rail gun.

      Actually that's not the rail gun, it's a 155 mm LRLAP cannon. The 800K is for the guided smart projectiles it's designed to use. The rail guns just fire metal slugs ballistically, like the naval cannons of old, but at a much, much higher velocity. Progress on the rail guns and the insane cost of the LRLAP is the reason the Navy is scrapping them. The Army has a system with similar capabilities to the LRLAP that "only" costs 70K per round. That system may be adoptable in the interim if the Navy decides it needs the capability. That's doubtful though, considering they Navy has essentially scrapped the entire Zumwalt class. They are probably just going to take the three they are stuck with and use them as technology demonstrators to test out some of the individual design components and systems for future use on ships.

      --
      I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  8. They broke my jaw by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    They broke my jaw with their washer, and burned my hand off with their phone. But I forgive them. Jesus says we have to.

  9. Removable batteries would not solve this problem by sjbe · · Score: 1

    Allow your batteries to be replaced by mere mortals and all will be forgiven.

    Why do you persist in thinking this would have solved the problem? It wouldn't have solved or even mitigated this problem. 1) Even if the battery were removable you aren't going to remove it while it is actively burning. 2) If the problem were merely a bad batch of batteries it would have been an easy fix. 3) Having the battery being removable does not prevent combustion nor does it meaningfully slow the process. 4) Removable batteries introduces the problem of shoddy third party batteries which could make the problem worse. 5) Removable batteries add cost and complexity that most users will never need or use.

    I'm not arguing that removable batteries are a bad idea. Far from it. Merely that they have no relevance to this particular problem.

  10. False Equivalence, anyone? by rsborg · · Score: 1, Interesting

    When the first generation Macbook airs showed up with defects that caused overheating leading to the machine throttling what did Apple do?

    You're literally comparing mild overheating on the Apple notebook with the Samsung product that the FAA has asked removed from planes because it's a danger to passengers.

    Right on. I see where you're coming from!

    --
    Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    1. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by kuzb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes there's a difference in the severity of the problems as they relate to public safety - unless of course you're trying to make a critical phone call using a defective iphone 4. However there's also a difference in how the customers were treated. Apple customers are habitually treated like shit. Of course this is only one example of a company that thinks so little of its customers that it would blame them for a problem they created.

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    2. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by mlw4428 · · Score: 1

      So back in September BGR reported that Samsung had already exchanged 500,000 devices in the US. The number of devices that reported issues in the US were 92 at around the same timeframe. So just taking those two numbers, we're seeing that affect devices made up one tenth of one tenth of one percent of all Samsung Note 7s that had been exchanged. Yes the potential was there for other phones, but many of Apple's flaws were design flaws (such as the antennagate issues or the recent "Touch Disease") have impacted MANY of Apple's customers. Apple's general line has been to ignore complaints (Touch Disease is still a problem, for instance). So while, yes, Samsung had a serious flaw and it is dangerous - it doesn't automagically excuse Apple's lack of quality control.

    3. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      You're literally comparing mild overheating on the Apple notebook with the Samsung product that the FAA has asked removed from planes because it's a danger to passengers.

      You Apple cultists really break me up. How about comparing Samsung battery fires to Apple electrocuting kids in their sleep? Sure, Apple blames it on knockoff chargers, but Apple can't deny providing the deadly conductive path from battery to case that made these (multiple!) electrocutions possible.

      Hey, did Apple ever take out a full page ad to apologize for that? (Rhetorical question.)

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    4. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      And.. don't forget when iPhones catch fire, they blame third-party chargers, completely glossing over the fact that it is up to the device (the phone) to cut off current to the battery pack once the target voltage has been reached.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    5. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by Kirby-meister · · Score: 1

      The difference in how customers are being treated could be due to the severity of the issue, though. Samsung has never been highly rated in terms of customer service, but having phone batteries catch fire/explode on people requires a company to step up if they want any chance at salvaging their reputation.

    6. Re:False Equivalence, anyone? by dottrap · · Score: 1

      Apple support has always treated me well.

      When I had a problem with my Mighty Mouse ball (out of warranty), they gave just me a new one on the spot at the Apple Store.

      When they made a screwup with my developer account, they gave me a free peripheral of my choice (I asked for a second Macbook Pro charger).

      When I had a problem with my iMac (under warranty) they sent me boxes and shipping labels and offered to have it picked up to my house.

      Apple has given me among of the best customer service of all the companies I've ever done business with.

  11. Now I understand why! by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 1

    I bought a copy of NYT today and I put it in the pocket of my overcoat. After a few minutes I smelled something strange, and suddendly I realized that smoke was coming out of my pocket. If I knew about Samsung ad, I would have been enclosed the newspaper into a fire-proof box.

  12. You know, it's sad... by hackel · · Score: 1

    This is very likely going to work, and people are going to gobble up the Galaxy S8 or whatever they're calling it as they have done for years in the past, regardless of how inferior a product it might be. People, particularly U.S. Americans, have a remarkably short attention span.

  13. We won't fire you by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    I once joked to my (then) director of engineering that if I'd screwed up the analysis on a particular sensor mount, I would have to brush up my resume before they fired me. He looked me dead in the eye and said, "Oh, no - I won't fire you. I'll make you stay and fix it."

    Samsung - fix your shit, and I'll be back for the Note 8 (codename: Phoenix).

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    1. Re:We won't fire you by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Your sig is very apropos.

    2. Re:We won't fire you by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      I agree totally. I think it's Wall Street that demands the replacement of Corporate officers that are proven to have behaved poorly, but consumers would prefer that the officers stay put and FIX their mistakes.

  14. Re:Does it mean they'll have replaceable batteries by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    No, the batteries will be fixed, but they'll have removable/replaceable battery regulation circuits. Feel better now?

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  15. Re:Removable batteries would not solve this proble by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 1

    I don't. I do think this would have mitigated the problem though. It likely would have kept millions of phones from hitting the landfill. And, I know I won't buy a phone where I can't replace the battery. It doesn't have to be S5-Easy. But, it doesn't have to be glued to the backplane rendering several pieces broken simply removing it.

    --

    To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

  16. Apology accepted, Captain Needa! by javacowboy · · Score: 1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    This space left intentionally blank.
  17. Great for my BBQ! by ctrl-alt-canc · · Score: 1

    This issue of the Washington Post will be great for firing up the grill this Sunday!

  18. And while you're at it... by emil · · Score: 1
    • - Unlock all/my bootloader.
    • - Include sd-card slots on all models.
    • - Restore/clear the Knox bit when factory firmware is loaded.

    • I'm going to have to save photos from a European trip on a smashed Galaxy Active in the near future. I would not be doing this if there was an sd-card. I am sorely upset that I will need a guitar pick and a new digitizer, and I am saying unkind things about the Galaxy Grenade line peddled by Samsung. These phones should not be sold.

  19. Lawsuits and Bribes for the Galaxy Grenade by emil · · Score: 1

    Does "bending over backwards" include lawsuits and bribes?

    A YouTube video of a GTA gamer using the phone as a bomb has been pulled due to a copyright complaint by Samsung — which given that Samsung doesn’t own the game or the modification makes rather little sense... According to some reports, Samsung tried to bribe one man to keep quiet after his phone began spewing smoke and melting in front of him. So perhaps it’s no surprise the company is trying to keep a lid on the fallout from the recall once these videos began circulating.

    1. Re:Lawsuits and Bribes for the Galaxy Grenade by kuzb · · Score: 1

      It's possible my information is incomplete, sure. I'm not above counter-arguments.

      I'd be interested in how we know Samsung was bribing people, and what the details of the bribe actually were. How many of them have any sort of evidence backing up the claims or bribery and coverup that are being made here? Are the accusations being made on the basis of hard evidence, or are they being made on the chance that someone could get a payday?

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  20. WSJ in print by Nukenbar · · Score: 1

    I think anyone that still reads the WSJ in print was not the market audience for the Note 7.

  21. Samsung: lying is business. Business is good. by emil · · Score: 1

    http://www.cultofmac.com/254695/for-samsung-stealing-cheating-and-lying-are-business-as-usual/

    "Samsung was recently fined $340,000 by Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) for astro-turfing — hiring people to post fake comments supporting Samsung in online forums... The fine came in the wake of reports that Samsung was caught cheating on benchmark tests, then lying about it. In the most recent case, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 looked for the presence of any benchmarking program and when it detected one, kicked into a special, high-power CPU mode in order to enable the phone to lie to [said] benchmarking programs. After this was proved beyond any doubt, Samsung lied about it and said they didn’t do it despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. The company was also fined recently by Taiwan’s FTC for lying in ads about smartphone features. This recurring pattern of stealing, cheating and lying by Samsung is creepy because they must know they’ll get caught and publicly called out. Yet they continue to do it."

    1. Re:Samsung: lying is business. Business is good. by kuzb · · Score: 1

      ars technica

      cult of mac

      Seeing some strong bias in your sources. Is there one that isn't known to be a staunch Apple supporter?

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  22. Re:Removable batteries would not solve this proble by voss · · Score: 1

    If the batteries were replaceable Samsung could have just sent out new batteries via UPS.
     

  23. Re:Removable batteries would not solve this proble by voss · · Score: 1

    1) Most recalled devices never burned up
    2) Its not an easy fix if you cant remove the battery yourself
    3) See answer 1
    4) If the problem is a third party removable battery the manufacturer is not responsible.
    5) How much cost $5-$10???? and how come the less expensive phones all have removable batteries if the issue is cost????

  24. air jordan pas cher pour femme by chenhuahun · · Score: 1

    confirme la psychiatre et psychanalyste Catherine Joubert (Déshabillez-moi chez Hachette Littératures, “Pluriel”, 2007). C’est un peu comme les pantoufles de vair de Cendrillon : une affirmation de notre part de princesse, une synthèse du style que l’on veut se donner. Nous vivons dans une société de poseurs, constate Nathalie Elharrar. Il faut être sa propre création, que la composition soit parfaite, assortie au portrait que l’on veut donner de soi-même. Le succès des escarpins très fins portés par Carrie Bradshaw, l’héro?ne de la série et du film Sex and the City, souligne à quel point la vogue des talons aiguilles est emblématique d’une femme moderne capable de s’entraver pour prouver sa pleine ma?trise d’elle-même. Elle exprime, avec sa capacité à masquer la douleur, toute sa -dualité : elle est forte et fragile à la fois. Ces parures d’ambitieuse sexy chic suscitent beaucoup de convoitise, assurent stylistes et industriels, qui les déclinent dans des couleurs plus vives les unes que les autres : rouge intense, rose shocking, citron, lilas Oser cette version extrême du traditionnel escarpin revient à proposer un concentré maximal de séduction. Selon Nathalie Elharrar nike tn 2016 : On ne se dit pas : “Cette femme a de belles chaussures.” Mais tout simplement : “Cette femme est belle.

  25. curso NR 10 by Instituto+Santa+Cata · · Score: 1

    Curso NR 10 online curso NR 10 curso NR 10 online