14 DAY TRIAL // Much has happened over the past few hours, as Samsung finally admitted that there might still be a battery problem in replaced Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. The word recall wasn’t specifically used, but the South Korean company did advise Note 7 owners to power down their phones and request a refund.
In Singapore, Samsung has started offering loan devices to Galaxy Note 7 owners, most likely from the Galaxy J series. Owners of original or replacement Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are advised to switch off their phones and visit the Customer Service Centre at Westgate to get a loan device, according to Straitstimes. Note 7 owners will be able to use their loaned devices until Samsung investigates reports of smartphones catching fire yet again.
A Samsung spokesman in Singapore said, “Samsung Electronics Singapore is in talks with our telecommunication operator and retail partners to work out a resolution for our Galaxy Note7 customers. Details of the remedy will be shared very soon.”
Samsung has urged all partners to stop sales of the Note 7
The measure came after Samsung said it was working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on investigating recent reports of Note 7 units catching fire. Samsung issued another statement today urging all partners to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7.
Owners of original or replaced Note 7 smartphones are advised to exchange their units for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and get a refund of the price difference between devices. Consumers can also request a full refund. They will receive a $25 gift card, in-store accessory credit or bill credit from select carrier retail outlets.
The word recall wasn’t specifically mentioned in any of these statements, but the measures taken are almost the same as during the first time the smartphone was recalled. Samsung is most likely waiting for the CPSC to complete the investigation before officially announcing the second recall of the Note 7.
It remains to be seen how the whole situation unfolds in the coming weeks, but until then it’s best to switch off your Note 7 phone.