Even though Samsung is replacing some 2.5 million units that might house faulty batteries, reports of exploding Galaxy Note 7 units continue to pop up on an nearly daily basis. Though the phone was not even up for sale in India, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has already been banned on airports by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA).
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The world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer said in a recent statement “our customers’ safety is an absolute priority”. In the USA, for instance, customers can return their Galaxy Note 7 to carrier or retail stores and get a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, as well as a refund on the price difference between the Note 7 and those devices.
“We will voluntarily replace your Galaxy Note 7 device with a new one”, the statement noted. While Samsung has not officially recalled the devices, they did warn people to stop using the phones till the replacements were provided.
“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. “We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be provided through the exchange program as conveniently as possible and in compliance with related regulations”.
Samsung has reportedly responded to rumors claiming that it is remotely deactivating faulty Galaxy Note 7 handsets after September 30. “We sincerely thank our customers for their understanding and patience”, the statement added.
What Samsung did not say in its press release is that it could remotely deactivate existing Galaxy Note 7 units that aren’t brought in.
We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers.
Samsung said it was aware of the two incidents, with local authorities investigating the case in the US.
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As per the complaint document we have retrieved, Ramirez suffered second degree burns to his right thumb and index finger, and also second and third degree burns to his right upper leg. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has already cost Samsung a whopping $1 billion loss and counting and has greatly affected the smartphone giant’s image in the industry. Consumers can visit Samsung’s service centers to receive rental phones for temporary use.
