Samsung Replaced 85 Percent of Recalled Galaxy Note 7 Units in Korea

Samsung officially announced the voluntary recall program of the Galaxy Note 7 on September 19, and it seems that the company has already managed to replace 389,000 units out of all Note 7 phones sold before the recall in South Korea.

The Korea Herald announced that Samsung managed to replace 85% of all 456,000 Note 7 units manufactured between July 30 and September 2. The report shows that 325,000 devices were replaced with new ones, while 21,000 customers opted for full refunds. It is said that most customers who requested a refund switched to an Apple iPhone 7.

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards says that 70,000 units are still in use. Officials have requested Samsung to speed up the process of recalling Note smartphones and consumers to cooperate in returning the devices.

The Galaxy Note 7 is currently available for purchase in Korea

Samsung officially resumed sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea on October 2 and many retailers called the smartphone “a hit.” Reports showed that retailers sold about 30,000 units during the first two days. Other reports have mentioned that Samsung Galaxy remains the top brand in South Korea, despite Note 7’s recall.

Lately things have gotten gradually worse for Samsung, as replaced Note 7 smartphones have started catching fire in the US. Some mobile carriers from the US have temporarily stopped sales of the Note 7 and Samsung announced that production was halted. It also stopped sending batches of replacement Note 7 units to at least one carrier, Telstra in Australia.

There have been two reports of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones catching fire in South Korea, and there is even a video showing the phone going up in flames in a fast food. Last month, South Korean officials asked Samsung and its battery supplier to conduct additional tests on units before shipment, including x-ray tests.

Now, rumors say that Samsung might be forced to conduct a second recall of the Note 7. The company will make an official statement once investigations on flaming units complete.