Samsung said it has sold more than 1 million Note 7 smartphones since the product’s August 19 launch.
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Samsung benefited from the popularity of the Galaxy S7, IDC said, and the Galaxy Note 7 was expected to keep that momentum going into the second half of the year.
He apologised for causing inconvenience and concern to customers. Samsung said there have been 35 cases so far but it didn’t specify the type of incidents.
“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”, the company said in a statement sent to USA TODAY Friday. “The safety and satisfaction of our customers is Samsung’s top priority”. The tech giant has assured that it is “working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible”.
The recall, the first for the new smartphone though not the first for a battery, comes at a crucial moment in Samsung’s mobile business.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is widely expected to announce its new iPhone to the world on September 7.
To date, no report of issues or injuries relating to the Note 7 has occurred in Australia, she added.
Samsung shares fell Thursday on reports of problems with the Galaxy Note 7 battery but closed 0.6% higher Friday before the recall was confirmed. “No one wants to wake up at 1, 2 or 3 (in the morning) and find out your smartphone’s on fire”.
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. Consumer Reports found that the phone didn’t live up to its water-resistance promises.
“Samsung is taking a proactive approach to address customer needs around the Note 7”, Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said in a statement issued on Friday (local time).
Samsung is replacing everyone’s devices for no charge. He refused to name the battery supplier.
“There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very hard to figure out”, Koh told reporters at a news conference.
It’s estimated to cost as much as 1.5 trillion won (US$1.3 billion). The phone is also available in Canada and South Korea.
Samsung were planning to provide a new Note 7 in exchange for the current Note 7 to consumers, it said.
Some buyers reported their phones caught fire or exploded while charging, sharing the photos of scorched phones on social media.
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China is not affected by the sales suspension.
