“We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them as soon as possible”, said Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung’s smartphone business.
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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 through the Galaxy Note7 exchange programme. South Korean consumers were told to go to service centers for replacement phones earlier Saturday.
Samsung announced a voluntary recall of all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and many had issues with how the company managed the recall operation, since the Consumer Product Safety Commission wasn’t involved.
This follows reports from Samsung that the smartphone’s battery poses a threat of fire once it becomes overheated.
The U.S. was among the first countries to take a step following the recall. A similar warning was sent out to US consumers Friday.
Samsung said that it is working on fixing the issue that was primarily caused due to a battery flaw.
“Safety remains a cornerstone of PAL operations and as such, the flag carrier will be ensuring full compliance on board each flight and is seeking the full cooperation of its passengers”, it added.
Samsung said that its authorized dealers in Taiwan will take applications from consumers here from September 13 for a swap for a new Galaxy Note 7 or other versions of its flagship product unconditionally.
The airline also advised that the passenger will not be allowed to store the device in their checked luggage. Samsung confirmed that the battery cell in the model was faulty. The company did not say last week whether users should stop using the phones, and said new phones would be available in about two weeks.
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The recall comes at a crucial time for Samsung, as its rival Apple just announced its own latest versions of the iPhone. The Note series is one of Samsung’s most expensive, and demand for the phone had been high.
