SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd indicated yesterday that its latest flagship Galaxy S smartphone could be delayed as it pledged to enhance product safety following an investigation into the cause of fires in its premium Note7 devices.

Wrapping up its months-long probe into the cause of the Note7 debacle, the world’s top smartphone maker said faulty batteries from two suppliers were to blame for a product failure that wiped US$5.3 billion (RM23.53 billion) off its operating profit.

Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said procedures had been put in place to avoid a repeat of the fires, as investors look to the launch of the South Korean tech giant’s first premium handset since the Note7, the Galaxy S8, sometime this year.

“The lessons of this incident are deeply reflected in our culture and process,” Koh told reporters at a press briefing. “Samsung Electronics will be working hard to regain consumer trust.”

However, Koh said the Galaxy S8 would not be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, which begins on Feb 27, the traditional forum for Samsung premium product launches. He did not comment on when the company planned to launch the new handset. — Reuters