“To date (as of September 1), there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are now conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market”, a spokesperson for the company said.
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While there have been only a small number of reported incidents, Samsung is taking great care to provide customers with the support they need.
Spark said in a statement they made the decision following the discovery of an issue with the newly released phone’s battery.
The company said it has not found a way to tell exactly which phones may endanger users out of the 2.5 million Note 7s already sold globally.
Samsung said it has sold more than 1 million Note 7 smartphones since the product’s launch.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. Further roll-outs have occurred since in markets like China, where sales started just this week.
In Britain, mobile carriers EE and Vodafone continue to accept pre-orders for the Note 7 on their sites.
Yonhap News reported that Note 7 deliveries to three South Korean mobile carriers had been stopped earlier this week.
For people who are uncomfortable waiting for the replacement, major USA carriers are offering some options.
Anyone with the recalled phone can either turn it in for a new Galaxy Note7 after the issue is fixed or get a Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge. “Additionally, through September 30, 2016, Verizon is waiving the restocking fee for any customers who purchased a Galaxy Note7 and wish to return or exchange it”.
The latest development comes soon after reports regarding battery fires and explosions forced Samsung to delay the shipment of the Note 7. The mobile division accounts for the lion’s share of Samsung’s business, but has been increasingly squeezed by competition both from Apple’s iPhone and by lower-end devices from Chinese rivals such as Huawei.
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But the brokerage said that scenario was unlikely, as it expected Samsung to resolve the problem before the fourth quarter. “I would expect at least a slight loss in consumer confidence”.
