Samsung profits hit by smartphone fiasco

Samsung has warned that profits will take a £1.9 billion hit from pulling its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones off the market.

Samsung has been rocked by Note 7 fiasco. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

The South Korean electronics giant said third-quarter operating profit is expected to come in at 5.2 trillion won (£3.7bn), down from previous estimates of 7.8 trillion won (£5.6bn).

On Tuesday Samsung scrapped its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, a day after halting sales because of concerns over consumer safety.

The group had delayed the launch of the Note 7 in the UK in September as it investigated and replaced faulty units that were overheating and exploding due to a battery defect.

However, new reports in the US raised further concerns that replacement devices were still catching fire and despite halting production to investigate the issue, the manufacturer has now chosen to completely withdraw the device.

Samsung’s share price has taken a pounding since news of the defect broke. It also cut its revenue estimate from 49 trillion won to 47 trillion won for the period.