The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was first launched in early August, and initial sales proved that the device would be one of Samsung’s greatest devices. However, everything went downhill a few weeks after sales commenced, when Samsung first issued a recall of its Galaxy Note 7 flagship phablet back in the middle of September after reports regarding units exploding while being charged, started to emerge. Now, some figures regarding the voluntary recall process in its home country of South Korea, have been posted.
According to the report, the South Korean company had managed to replace more than 85 percent of the recalled units. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards has mentioned that it believes that out of the initial 456,000 Galaxy Note 7 units which were manufactured between July 30 and September 2, 389,000 units have been retrieved so far during the recall process and promptly been replaced by Samsung. To break it down further, 352,000 units were replaced with a new and “safe” Galaxy Note 7 unit, while 21,000 customers opted for a full refund. However, some 70,000 Galaxy Note 7 units from the initial recall have not been turned in yet and are still being used by their owners.
Sales of the Galaxy Note 7 officially resumed on October 2 in South Korea, but the new and purportedly safe units may potentially be as dangerous as the recalled units. This comes after it was reported that a new and “safe” Galaxy Note 7 units have caught on fire, with one case having been reported in Taiwan, and at least three other cases in the US. In one of the cases, a man from Kentucky suffered from acute bronchitis, after inhaling smoke emitted from his burning Galaxy Note 7 and had to be brought to the emergency room. In most of the recent cases, the Galaxy Note 7 units were not being charged at the time of incident, or being used. However, three major carriers in the US, have temporarily suspended the sale and replacement process of the Galaxy Note 7. Instead, the carriers are urging its customers to proceed to their respective point of purchase and exchange their Galaxy Note 7 units for a different smartphone. All three carriers are also offering full refunds to concerned customers.