Samsung Electronics Co. has begun the USA exchange program for the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones amid concern over a battery problem, the local sales arm of the South Korean tech giant said. “For customers, who have Galaxy Note 7 devices, Samsung will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one from today”.
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The president said 24 gadgets per 1 million have been confirmed defective after its own investigation due to the problem with battery cells, pledging to recall all of Note 7 phones sold globally.
Alternatively, the company said customers can choose to retain their device and receive the replacement Note 7 at a later date. “We are now conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market”, the company said.
Samsung had halted shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 earlier this week after a number of reports regarding the phablets catching fire. If you chose the second option, Samsung will also replace or refund any Note 7 accessories you already purchased, and refund the price difference of the two phones.
In an emailed statement, Samsung India spokesperson said, “We are now conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market”.
USA wireless carriers stopped selling the Note 7 Friday and began working on how to handle customer returns and questions. Customers have reported that the smartphone has caught on fire while charging.
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News of a recall could be especially damaging as it comes just a week before major rival Apple is expected to launch its next flagship device. We found the Note 7 to be a very compelling device in our review, but whether or not customers will trust the device given the recall remains to be seen. Samsung is giving Note 7 users a $25 gift card or bill credit for the inconvenience.
