The Galaxy Note 7 has hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons over the past couple of weeks. Amid mounting reports of Samsung’s latest flagship phablets either catching on fire or exploding because of apparent faulty batteries supplied by Samsung SDI, the South Korean company last week initiated a global recall for the device that was initially anointed the ‘best smartphone ever’ by large sections of the press and users alike. The recall reportedly will cost the company a pretty penny, and if one senior Samsung executive is to be believed, the current mess the company has gotten into might end up costing them upwards of $1 billion in the current fiscal.
Undeterred by the huge PR nightmare, though, Samsung is currently busy with the replacement schedules in countries where the device had already started retailing. The company’s Australian unit has already announced that replacement stock of the smartphone will be available to customers in the country from September 21st. What we’re now hearing is that the company may resume general sales of the Galaxy Note 7 to new customers from early next month. That’s according to a new report doing that rounds on the internet that claims Samsung will make new and presumably safe versions of its Galaxy Note 7 handsets available for purchase from “early October”. It’s important to remember, though that unlike the September 21st date, the “early October” bit is yet to be confirmed by Samsung.
Many cases of alleged Galaxy Note 7 fires have been reported from around the world over the past several days. What started as a trickle back in the middle of last month has now turned into the proverbial deluge with at least three incidents being reported from the U.S. over the past couple of days. Reports of fire have emanated from Down Under as well, resulting in at least three airlines in the country banning the use of the Galaxy Note 7 on their flights. But Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia are not the only ones concerned about the device turning into a potential fire hazard on flights. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also released a statement earlier today “strongly” advising airline passengers not to switch on or charge the phones on board.