Business
‘Killer’ phones: Why are they still being sold in Uganda?
Some of the Samsung galaxy phones recalled
Samsung is one of the biggest companies in the smart phone business in the world. Of recent, the South Korean company has been hit by many reports of ‘its flagshipGalaxy Note 7 smartphone, a crucial rival to the iPhone’, overheating, exploding and catching fire.
After getting embarrassed, as we now know, Samsung was forced into recalling and replacing millions of Note 7’s at an exorbitant cost. But it has now emerged again, that many of the replaced phones have also caught fire.
Samsung has now announced that it will permanently discontinue its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone production but not after it had urged the owners and users to shut them off. Before the announcement airlines had warned passengers against carrying them on board or using them on board the aircraft.
Last week, Samsung said it had halted production. And not only has it urged its customers to shut down their phones, it has directed all networks to stop sales of the phone. ‘And after mounting pressure, it has now agreed to permanently stop making the phone’.
Several mobile networks all over the world announced this week how they had removed the dangerous device from their shelves ‘and were no longer offering them for sale to their customers’.
Early this week, Sam sung announced: “Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung has asked all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation into the cause of explosions is taking place’.
In Uganda however, the dangerous phones are still on sale. In retail outlets the killer phones are still on display. The fear is that unless responsible organs of government enforce the ban on sale under all circumstances, the traders will continue selling these phones.
It is also feared that the traders might decide to reduce the selling price so that they can continue selling them to customers who may not be aware of the consequences of using the banned device.
Where is the Bureau of Standards to protect us from dangerous good on the market? And who in government cares about things like these in a society that is not greatly enlightened in matters technological? Do we have to wait for the President to pronounce himself on this one also?
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