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Samsung created a quality improvement office in response to the Galaxy Note 7 ordeal

Published Mar 2nd, 2017 9:04PM EST
Galaxy S8 Release Date Nears Quality Assurance
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Samsung wants you to know it’s all about improving the quality of its products following the Galaxy Note 7 disaster, which cost Samsung an estimated $5.35 billion in operating profit. After kicking off its tablet event at MWC 2017 with a Galaxy Note 7 apology and after airing more apologetic ads during the Oscars on the same day, the company went ahead and announced the creation of a special office that will oversee product quality.

Samsung on Thursday said that it has created a new office dedicated to global product quality improvement, Reuters reports. Kim Jong-ho was appointed to lead the new team, which will oversee Samsung’s manufacturing and quality assurance efforts.

“President Kim Jong-ho, a top manufacturing expert, will lead product quality and manufacturing improvement efforts for all of Samsung Electronics’ set businesses,” the firm said in a statement. Kim is moving to Samsung Electronics after serving as the president of Samsung subsidiary Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd, a ship manufacturer. Before that, Kim was a mobile business executive with the company’s mobile division.

Reuters says Samsung is under immense pressure to make sure the Galaxy S8 launch goes smoothly. The phone is expected to be released in April, the report notes, though Samsung hasn’t announced anything at this point.

The company did reveal at the end of its MWC event that its first major Unpacked press conference of the year will take place on March 29th in New York, hinting that’s when its Galaxy S8 will be unveiled.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2007. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he closely follows the events in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming new movies and TV shows, or training to run his next marathon.