14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung is currently conducting the recall of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, and the company is working hard on completing the process so that it can restart sales as soon as possible. Galaxy Note 7 units with faulty batteries posed serious safety threats to users, which is why India banned the use of these phones on airplanes.
Earlier this month, India's civil aviation authority DGCA banned the Galaxy Note 7 from check-in luggage and passengers were only allowed to keep the smartphone inside the cabin luggage and required to keep it switched off at all times while in the plane.
The measure was taken because of the security concerns posed by Note 7 units, as they could overheat and catch fire while charging. India wasn't the only country that banned this phone model from airplanes, as the US's FAA also advised passengers not to turn on their Note 7 while on an airplane.
Note 7 units bought after September 15 can be charged on airplanes
Now that Samsung has started replacing faulty Note 7 smartphones with safe ones, India's DGCA has lifted the ban, according to Mashable. The ban lift is applicable to Note 7 units purchased after September 15 and carrying the green battery icon that indicates a safe unit.
A Samsung spokesperson for India stated that the company recognizes “the inconvenience this has caused to customers, flyers and airline authorities, and remain committed towards customer safety.”
Samsung recently announced that 1 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones were exchanged. The company still has a long way to go until all the remaining 1.5 million units with faulty batteries are replaced.
The recall procedure is going smoothly in certain markets, with customers staying true to the brand and continuing to enjoy Samsung products. But that's not the case of China, where the company only recalled a few units, since most of them had safe batteries manufactured by a different supplier. However, China's state TV broadcaster recently slammed the company for “discriminating” against Chinese customers who bought the Note 7.