Samsung ordered a recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices after receiving reports of the devices catching fire.
Advertisement
Consumers can visit Samsung’s service centers to receive rental phones for temporary use. Several airlines around the world asked travelers not switch on the jumbo smartphone or put it in checked baggage, with some carriers banning the phone on flights.
After the recall announcement earlier this month, the South Korean company is said to have contacted ATL to order an additional four million batteries as replacements in the Galaxy Note 7 devices.
“We will voluntarily replace your Galaxy Note 7 device with a new one”, the statement noted. So we reached out to the USA call center and a representative said Note 7 users should power off the phone and bring it back to the retail location where it was purchased. On Friday the US Consumer Product Safety Commission urged Note 7 owners to stop using it.
The global smartphone leader on Saturday urged all customers to turn off their Note 7s and return them as soon as possible as part of the recall which it voluntarily initiated on September 2. This parcel will consist of a replacement Galaxy Note 7, the latest Gear VR, and a prepaid envelope that should be used to immediately return defective handsets. Singapore Airlines has also banned the use or charging of the device during flights.
New York Times reporter Mike Isaac also tweeted Sunday morning that staff on his American Airlines flight told passengers that any Galaxy Note7s “must be powered off and stowed”.
“If a customer is going out to buy a phone, they’re going to buy an iPhone 7, not a Note 7”, said Mark Newman, a Bernstein analyst who covers Samsung.
It’s not been detailed how the Galaxy Note 7 recall process is going to be held in other countries, but Samsung will start shipping out a care package to all Galaxy Note 7 owners residing in France on Monday, September 19. The Galaxy Note series is one of the most expensive lineups made by Samsung.
Advertisement
The firm was beginning to claw back smartphone market share and had tried to pre-empt Apple by launching the nearly $900 Note 7 on August 19, about a month ahead of the latest iPhone release.
