resume sales of new Galaxy Note 7
smartphones in South Korea this week,
hoping to turn the page on the
troubled device after an ongoing
global recall prompted by battery
explosions.
The company on September 2
suspended sales of the oversized
“phablet” and recalled 2.5 million
units shipped worldwide after faulty
batteries caused the phones to explode
while charging.
With the recall underway in 10
nations where the device had been
launched, 60 percent of users in
Samsung’s key market, the US, had
swapped their handsets for
replacements provided by the
company, as of Tuesday.
Eighty percent of Note 7 customers are
expected to complete the exchange this
week in South Korea, where sales of
new phones equipped with fault-free
batteries will resume on Saturday,
Samsung said in a statement.
The new Note 7 will gradually hit
stores in other markets, including
some European countries on October
28, the company said.
The unprecedented recall, the first
involving Samsung’s flagship
smartphone, has dealt a blow to the
reputation of the South Korean
electronics giant — also the world’s
largest smartphone maker.
With photos of charred phones
flooding social media, Samsung is
desperate to avoid a full-blown
disaster that could cost billions and
damage its image further.
But customers have reportedly
complained that the replacement
devices were overheating during calls
and its batteries draining too quickly,
a sign that the company’s troubles are
not over yet.
A Samsung spokeswoman
acknowledged the concerns but said
they only amounted to “a few
individual cases”.
“We would like to reassure everyone
that new Note 7 phones are operating
properly and pose no safety concerns,”
she said, adding the firm was working
to address the complaints.
The Note 7 was meant to kick start
growth this year as Samsung struggles
to boost sales, squeezed by Apple in
the high-end sector and Chinese rivals
in the low-end market.
But the recall has piled more pressure
on the company, sparking alarm
among global air carriers and safety
regulators, which banned the device
on flights.
Samsung is also facing a class-action
lawsuit in the US state of New Jersey
over complaints that some of its
washing machines had exploded in
their owners’ homes.
The company said Wednesday it was
in discussions with the US Consumer
Product Safety Commission to address
the concerns of affected customers.
04:08
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