During an interview with Fortune, the head of one of the four major wireless carriers in the USA said the controversy over the batteries, which can catch fire under certain conditions, should blow over in time and not hurt Samsung’s dominance in the mobile handset market over the long haul.
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It said customers in Malaysia, who own Galaxy Note 7, could replace their current device with a new one beginning Sept 29 onwards.
Shanghai-based China Eastern, Spring Airlines and Hainan Airlines Group have banned Note 7 mobile phones in the air.
When it first offered on September 2 to replace the affected Note 7 phones, Samsung said it would swap them for models of its other phones, such as the Galaxy S7, until supplies of replacement Note 7 devices became available.
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters the phone was damaged by an external heat source, possibly an induction oven or a fan heater.
“NCAA, therefore, calls on all passengers and airline operators to ensure total adherence to this directive as safety and security of air transportation is paramount to the authority”, it said.
Mashable reports that Samsung is not just limiting the battery charge but also alerting users to turn off their device and return it to the store.
Samsung, which has lost significant market share in the smartphone space after this Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, is trying hard to salvage its brand. Samsung in a statement, stated that, “since customers’ safety is top priority, all Galaxy Note7 purchased are eligible for replacement regardless of the original place of purchase”.
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The risks of battery explosion in its recent flagship Galaxy Note 7 dragged Samsung to several legal and public criticisms and justifiably saying, the last couple of weeks have brought up the worst moments for this number one smartphone maker.
