Phone home: Galaxy Note 7 users face Samsung’s recall

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall, saying consumers had anxiously awaited the action after Samsung stopped selling the smartphones worldwide on September 2 and recalled those that had already been sold.

Although the initial recall announcement was well-received, analysts said Samsung’s brand image was subsequently tarnished as aviation authorities and airlines began issuing bans or advisories against using or charging the Note 7 on airplanes.

Previously, it has been announced for the consumers to stop using the product after reports of battery overheating and even exploding, for some cases. They can also request a refund or a “new replacement device”, which we take to mean an alternative handset to the Galaxy Note 7. With a total of almost 1 million Galaxy Note 7 units having been recalled in the USA, the disclosure by Baxter means that the exchange option has been availed by only about 13 percent Galaxy Note 7 owners. Boxes of the new Note 7 phones will be marked with an “S” mark and/or a black square on its label for the ease of identification.

According to Samsung, the problem affects 2.5 million phones globally, including one million in the US.

But many users have snubbed the offer, choosing to wait until the new phones were available, citing the inconvenience of switching devices for an interim period.

Pre-orders of the Galaxy Note 7 will also be delayed as Samsung works with its partners to supply a safe replacement smartphone as soon as possible. That decision led to an unnecessary delay in replacing devices and may have hurt consumer confidence in the South Korean electronics maker.

“The child was watching videos on the phone when the battery exploded”, Linda Lewis, the boy’s grandmother, told the New York Post.

Remember, when it’s not setting fire to people’s cars, the Galaxy Note 7 is actually a magnificent soft of smartphone. Customers can check if their device is included in the recall by going to Samsung’s website.

The FAA, which previously told consumers not to use the phones on airplanes, said individuals can only travel by aircraft with the devices if they are turned off and disconnected from any chargers.