Android 7.0 is being tested on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

In the midst of all the bad press happening around Samsung’s exploding Galaxy Note 7s, there’s some good news for Samsung fans. The company seems to be testing Android 7.0 on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge.

We’ve spotted some Geekbench test results revealing that Samsung has been testing Android Nougat on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. However, this is quite normal, and it happens every time a newer version of Android hits the market. The real question is, when will the final version of Android 7.0 hit these devices?

Samsung is testing Android 7.0 on the Exynos variants of both these devices, so international unlocked variants might be the first ones to get the update. However, don’t expect the update to be rolled out just yet. These are just the first signs of testing, and it may take months before the final update is released by the company.

The South Korean smartphone giant could delay the release of Android 7.0 for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to push more sales of the Galaxy Note 7. However, that’s just our guess. The company has improved its software update process by quite a lot compared to the past few years.

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Market insiders suggest reliance on affiliates caused Samsung SDI to slack off on Note 7 batteries

Samsung’s battery-making division is now widely believed to be responsible for supplying unsafe batteries for the Galaxy Note 7 even though the company hasn’t officially confirmed that. It’s now exclusively sourcing Note 7 batteries from China’s ATL which was previously only responsible for 30 percent of the supply for the company’s latest flagship while Samsung SDI took the lion’s share at 70 percent. Units with ATL batteries were only meant for China which is why customers in that country are not affected by the global recall. Market insiders are of the view that Samsung’s increasing reliance on its affiliate companies caused Samsung SDI to slack off on Note 7 batteries, costing billions in damage to the company’s kitty, market value and brand value.

Samsung SDI was responsible for a quarter of the world’s compact rechargeable battery market last year, it clinched the first position with rivals LG Chem, Panasonic and ATL following behind with around 10 percent of the market each. One big reason for Samsung SDI’s lead was sales to its affiliates. Nearly 32 percent of the company’s revenues were generated from sales to Samsung affiliates in the first half of this year and it was selected to supply 70 percent of the batteries meant for Samsung’s latest and greatest flagship handset.

The assurance of business from its affiliates is what’s believed to have caused Samsung SDI to lose its advantage in developing cutting-edge technologies. Rivals LG Chem and ATL quickly switched to pouch-type batteries as demand surged while Samsung SDI kept creating stick-type batteries as its biggest customers within the Samsung family had not caught on that trend yet.

Samsung SDI finally started developing pouch-type batteries to meet demand from Samsung Electronics for the Galaxy Note 7 but they were not up to the mark. It proved a tall order for the battery company to create a unit which could properly function inside the new flagship’s slim and waterproof design.  Another reason for this entire debacle is believed to be the layoffs at Samsung SDI which were a cost-cutting measure. The staff has declined from 7,408 in late 2015 to 6,937 as of June 2016. At least one source told The Chosun Ilbo that these layoffs were “at least partly responsible for the battery defects.”

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St. Petersburg Fire Rescue finds no link between Galaxy Note 7 and Jeep explosion

Finally, a bit of good news for Samsung. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue have today announced that they were unable to determine whether a faulty Galaxy Note 7 left plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee was the exact cause of the fire that destroyed the vehicle.

The owner of the Jeep, Nathan Dornacher, blamed the handset or sparking the fire right from the word go. However, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue have listed “undetermined” as the official classification of the fire that occurred at 3257 58th Street N on Monday, September 5.

“Due to the destructive nature of the fire, and multiple possibilities that could not be eliminated as to the ignition source, this classification was determined most appropriate,” writes St. Petersburg Fire Rescue in its official report on the matter.

So while it’s still possible that the Galaxy Note 7 was to blame for the car catching fire, there’s no definitive link. It’s not uncommon for a car battery to swell in hot weather, though, so I believe that a minor fire caused by the handset may have sparked the full-scale explosion we saw in the images.

The clear winner here is Samsung as it’s safe to say that it won’t have a nasty court case filed against it for this particular incident as there’s no solid proof that a defunct battery sparked the fire. It’s merely speculation.

 

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Google has granted a special exception to Samsung for the new Note 7′s green battery icon

Now that the Galaxy Note 7 replacement program is well and truly underway, Samsung has detailed how you will be able to identify new units which feature safe batteries. The new Galaxy Note 7 units have a green battery icon that’s displayed in three separate locations which quickly lets the user know that they have a safe device. However, a report suggests that Samsung’s decision to change the color of this system status icon violates Google’s Android compatibility guidelines.

All manufacturers who make Android-powered devices must comply with the Android Compatibility Definition Document which aside from hardware and security also covers interface design. The Themes section of this document lays down the law: “Android device implementations MUST use white for system status icons (such as signal strength and battery level) and notifications issued by the system.”

Previously leaked documents have suggested that Google tests all OEM software updates to ensure compatibility with the document before they’re allowed to be released so one would think that Google would shoot down Samsung’s green battery icon for violating the compatibility requirements. That’s not the case, though. Google’s SVP of Android, Chrome OS and Google Play Hiroshi Lockheimer has confirmed via Twitter that “given extraordinary circumstances” Samsung has been granted a special exception and that they have ensured compatibility with the document by applying a white border around the green battery icon in the new Galaxy Note 7.

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Samsung will start its Galaxy Note 7 replacement program in Australia tomorrow

Samsung has announced that it will start its replacement program for the Galaxy Note 7 in Australia tomorrow. This news comes more than two weeks after the manufacturer issued a global recall of the handset following reports of units spontaneously bursting into flames while on charge.

To coincide with the launch of the exchange program, Samsung will also distribute a crucial OTA update for all Galaxy Note 7‘s currently in the hands of customers in the region. The upgrade is believed to improve user safety by limiting the battery’s maximum charge to just 60% of its capacity.

“The safety of our customers is our first priority. For this reason, we are working to identify and execute all appropriate measures to protect customer safety,” said Richard Fink, Vice President IT & Mobile at Samsung Electronics Australia, during a press conference.

“We continue to urge customers who still have an affected Galaxy Note7 to complete a data back-up and factory reset before powering-down the device and returning it to their place of purchase to seek a replacement Galaxy Note7 or alternate remedy of their choice.”

The South Korean company will also roll out an update to all replacement models of the Galaxy Note 7. Unfortuantely, it doesn’t bring any new features to the device. Instead, it merely turns the battery indicator from white to green, indicating that the phone is safe to use and doesn’t pack a faulty cell.

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Galaxy Note 7 sales in the US may not resume before October 21

If a new report is to be believed, it may take more than a month for Samsung to resume sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States. The company suspended sales of this handset across the globe on the day it confirmed that there was a battery cell issue and that it was recalling every single unit shipped since the release on August 19. The report claims that Samsung won’t release the Galaxy Note 7 in the US before Friday, October 21. It merits mentioning here that sales of the Galaxy Note 7 will be resumed in South Korea later this week.

The scribe claims to have obtained a planning document which shows that carriers in the US are planning for a relaunch of the Galaxy Note 7 on October 21. This happens to be the very same day LG’s V20 flagship hits the US market. The document is said to mention relaunch date for major carriers in the country – that’s Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint – and only for new sales. Existing customers have already begun receiving new units which have safe batteries.

Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed yet when it’s going to resume sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States. If this date is true then the company might find it hard to keep customers in the market for a new high-end smartphone from considering the iPhone 7, the handset it tried to beat with the Galaxy Note 7 in the first place. Bear in mind that October 21 has been claimed as the relaunch date for the US only, it may be different in other parts of the world.

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Samsung starts handing out replacement Galaxy Note 7 inventory in the UK

Samsung has already started shipping replacement inventory of the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea while some of its retail and carrier partners have also followed through in the United States even though the official date is September 21. Today, the company has officially started handing out safe Galaxy Note 7 units with batteries that are not a fire hazard to customers in the United Kingdom.

Vice president of mobile for Samsung in the UK and Ireland Conor Pierce apologized to customers “for not meeting the standard of product excellence that they have come to expect from Samsung,” and reiterated the company’s plea to take part in the replacement program. “Our absolute priority is the safety of our customers – that’s why we are asking all Galaxy Note 7 customers to act now and exchange today,” he added.

The company is confident that the issue has been “completely resolved” in the replacement inventory that’s now being handed out to customers, earlier today it detailed how you can identify a Galaxy Note 7 with a safe battery. Customers in the United Kingdom should get in touch with the carrier or retailer where they bought their unit from. Samsung has also dedicated a customer support team to the handling of replacements, the team can be reached by calling 0330 7261000 in the UK.

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