samsung galaxy note 7 south korea

Samsung is expecting billions of dollars in loss in the aftermath of the Galaxy Note 7’s death. Pic: AP

Recalled explosive Galaxy Note 7 to yield 157 tonnes of rare metals

By | 20 July, 2017

SOUTH KOREAN tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will recover 157 tonnes’ worth of rare metals from its recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to reduce the environmental impact of scrapping the fire-prone gadgets.

On Tuesday, the company said it would recover metals such as cobalt, copper, gold and silver from components for recycling, as well as components such as camera modules, chips and displays that would be reused or sold on.

samsung galaxy note 7 explode damage

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was recalled last year roughly two months after its launch due to safety concerns. Around 3.06 million Note 7s had been sold to consumers before its second and final recall in October.

The phones were recalled because they overheated and caught fire, a fault which Samsung blamed on the lithium-ion batteries. The failure cost the company US$5.4 billion in operating profit.

SEE ALSO: Samsung plans to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 after fiery scandals

At the time the company said in a statement: “We are taking responsibility for our failure to ultimately identify and verify the issues arising out of battery design and manufacturing.”

Environmental group Greenpeace had previously called on the company to recycle components of the Note 7.

After healthy sales of the flagship Galaxy S8 launched in April the company is thought to be recovering from the debacle.

This month the company also announced the voice-based feature of Bixby will be available for Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners in the US.

The firm also expanded its strategic partnership with PayPal Holdings, Inc., adding PayPal as an integration within the Samsung Pay app, wherever Samsung Pay is accepted – in-app, online and in-store. 



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@Heidivel

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Heidi Vella is a freelance energy and technology journalist based in London. Her interests include smart cities, clean energy, emerging markets and technology innovation. Prior to working freelance, Heidi spent four years’ covering all things technology and energy-related for London-based Progressive Digital Media.

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