Samsung Electronics has laid the blame for its exploding Galaxy Note 7 handsets on the devices’ batteries, pointing the finger at overheating caused by design and manufacturing defects.
Monday’s findings follow a three-month investigation by the South Korean company and independent third parties into an embarrassing debacle that is expected to cost the world’s largest smartphone maker more than $5bn.
Released to positive reviews last August, the Note 7 was recalled and abruptly killed off within two months after several caught fire. The incidents prompted US regulators and airlines globally to ban the smartphone on flights in a highly publicised move that struck at the heart of the company’s reputation.