Samsung Caps Note 7 Battery Charging to Prevent Overheating
- Software update from Sept. 20 will cap capacity at 60 percent
- Samsung makes public apology via Korean newspaper ads
Samsung to Limit Note 7 Battery Charge
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Samsung Electronics Co. will push out a software update for South Korea that caps the capacity of Galaxy Note 7 smartphone batteries at 60 percent, a stop-gap measure to prevent overheating as the device’s global recall proceeds.
The unusual move, announced on the first day of a major national holiday, reinforces the urgency with which Samsung’s trying to contain its deepest crisis in years. The company announced the recall of the Note 7 -- one of its best-reviewed phones upon debut -- on Sept. 2 after receiving 35 cases of the device overheating or catching fire. A week later, it urged local users to immediately power off their phones.