Samsung must act fast to keep an exploding phone from blowing up its brand

Galaxy Note 7-maker faces questions over its response to defects with its devices that could tarnish the company in the long-term

The saga of the exploding Galaxy Note 7s has turned into a fully-fledged crisis for Samsung.

First released in August, the phone initially received rave reviews for the extent to which it pushed the envelope on what a phablet-sized smartphone could do. It shipped with wireless charging, a battery that lasted well over a day and charged to 70% in less than an hour, and a USB-C connector - Samsung's first phone to use the next-generation port.