Samsung had already announced that it was recalling the Note 7 earlier this month, but the company botched the standard procedure for ordering a recall, leaving the USA government somewhat hamstrung. Replacement devices should be available at most retail locations no later than September 21, Samsung said.
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Samsung already has voluntary recalled the devices after a few dozen devices exploded or caught fire.
Samsung had beaten Apple to market with the Note 7 by several weeks, and it was drawing favorable reviews before consumers began reporting problems with the battery overheating, resulting in fires and explosions.
This information jibes with data from analytics firm Apteligent, which says that “usage rate of the phone among existing users has been nearly the exact same since the day of the [unofficial] recall”.
Samsung says it will use various marketing tools to encourage people to exchange defective Note 7s, including emails and alerts to customers that have opted in to them.
Note 7 users who turn in their phone will be eligible to receive a new one with a fixed battery, credit toward another model of Samsung phone, or a full refund. Two weeks later, it was forced to launch the global recall because of faulty batteries that could explode while charging. Samsung announced on September 2 that it had stopped selling the phone and would replace any that had been sold.
If you travel with a Samsung Note 7, you’re likely on the honor system when deciding whether… The company also did not immediately coordinate its recall with the USA consumer safety agency.
While Samsung hammered out its formal recall plan with US regulators, the FAA told airline passengers to turn off the phones when flying due to the safety risk. This process requires them to enter the IMEI (serial number) of their device.
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The company hasn’t said when it will resume sales of the Note 7, with its current energy still focused on replacing existing units. “However, it appears that the usage rate of the phone among existing users has been nearly the exact same since the day of the recall”. For a replacement, customers can choose a new Note 7 when it is available again in the U.S.by Wednesday, or the smaller and cheaper Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge right away – with a refund of the price difference.
