Samsung to continue distancing itself from ATL after Galaxy Note 7 fiasco

According to a recent Korean report, Samsung will continue to rely on Samsung SDI for Galaxy Note 8’s batteries and replace ATL with Japan’s Murata Manufacturing.

If you look at Samsung’s Note line-up, you’ll notice that the Note 6 and Note 7 monikers are missing: Samsung decided to skip Note 6 for marketing purposes, and as you probably know already, the Note 7 was discontinued last year due to battery problems. Samsung initially shipped Galaxy Note 7 devices with Chinese-made ATL batteries, and after multiple reports of battery defects and the first recall, the company decided to replace them with batteries supplied by Samsung SDI. Unfortunately, Galaxy Note 7 devices continued to explode all over the world, leading to a second and final recall.

After months of investigation, Samsung announced reasons behind the explosions earlier this year, stating that certain ATL batteries shipped with missing insulation tape and sharp protrusions that damaged battery separators. As for Samsung SDI’s batteries, the company said that there wasn’t enough room between their internals and protective pouch around them. With the Galaxy S8, Samsung decided to stick with Samsung SDI, which makes sense financially, but ATL was replaced by Sony. And it looks like that trend will continue with the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.

ETNews claims that the majority of Galaxy Note 8’s batteries will be manufactured by Samsung SDI, who will be wholly responsible for the initial batch, and Japan’s Murata Manufacturing will eventually supply 20 percent of all batteries found inside the Galaxy Note 8. As the South Korean publication explains, this will be a significant move since Samsung and ATL have worked together for more than 10 years. However, after what happened last year with ATL-made batteries found inside the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung is reportedly distancing itself from the Chinese manufacturer, excluding it from the list of battery suppliers for the company’s Galaxy-branded smartphones.

Murata Manufacturing is a Japanese firm that acquired Sony’s battery business last year, and is expected to remain as one of the battery suppliers for future Galaxy devices. Though it’s only been a year since the Note 7 fiasco, with new battery suppliers and Samsung’s improved battery durability tests, this year’s Galaxy Note 8 should see a different fate than that of its predecessor. *knocks on wood*

Are you excited for the Galaxy Note 8 unveiling this Wednesday? Do you think Samsung’s Note brand will recover from last year’s fiasco? Let us know by leaving a comment below!