A battery supplier to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) said on Monday a Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that reportedly caught fire on its own in China appears to have been caused by an external factor.
Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) said it conducted a joint investigation with Samsung on the phone in question and determined the incident was not directly related to the batteries produced by ATL.
A Samsung spokeswoman referred to ATL's statement and declined to comment further.