Samsung said
Thursday it would resume sales of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in South
Korea this week after providing new “battery-problem-free” phones,
hoping to turn the page on the troubled device following 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.
Samsung you guys need to fix up thing fast other competitors bow you off the market like Blackberry
Read More »
