Update: Samsung Officially Halts All Note7 Sales & Exchanges, Now Recalling All Devices
by Matt Humrick on October 13, 2016 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Samsung
- Mobile
- Galaxy Note7
Update 10/13: After earlier asking customers to stop using the Note7, today the company has expanded the matter to a full recall in the United States. All Note7s, originals and replacements, are now being recalled by the company. As most users are expected to want to swap to another phone, the actual processing of the recall is being handled by both Samsung (for direct sales customers), and retailers/carriers for remaining customers.
Meanwhile, along with the refunds/partial rebates being offered by retailers to either cover the cost of the phone or the price difference between it and its replacement, Samsung has also announced that they are expanding their US bill credit program. In short, customers who stay with Samsung will receive a $100 bill credit, while customers who replace their Note7 with another manufacturer's phone or opt for a full refund will receive a $25 bill credit.
U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program
Under the terms of the U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program, you have the following choices and can take these next steps beginning October 13, 2016 at 3pm ET:
- Exchange your current Galaxy Note7 for any Samsung smartphone and replacement of any Galaxy Note7 specific accessories with a refund of the price difference between devices
- Obtain a refund at your point of purchase
In addition, you may be eligible for additional incentives described below:
What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?
As a sign of our appreciation for your patience and loyalty, we are offering up to a $100 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets if you exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone, less any incentive credits already received.
What if I already exchanged my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?
If you already exchanged your Galaxy Note7 device for another Samsung smartphone, you will receive up to a $75 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets in addition to the $25 you previously received.
What if I want a refund for my Galaxy Note7?
If you choose to obtain a refund, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.
What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone?
If you choose to exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.
Update 10/12: Seemingly set to put an end to this saga, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Samsung has informed South Korean regulators that it intends to permanently cease production of the phone. Given the issues Samsung has experienced, it goes without saying that this is not surprising, and this will mean that the Note7 will not get a third shot in the market.
Samsung made it official today that it is suspending all sales and exchanges of its beleaguered Galaxy Note7 smartphone, and it is also asking all partners to do the same.
After reports of several phones catching on fire after it initially went on sale, Samsung initiated a global recall while it investigated the source of the problem, which traced the issue to defective batteries from a specific supplier (Samsung sources batteries from more than one supplier). With the problem seemingly solved, Samsung initiated an exchange program where customers could trade in their defective Note7s for new, supposedly safe, ones or a new Galaxy S7 or S7 edge instead.
Unfortunately, it did not take long for fresh reports of battery fires to surface. Several of the replacement Note7s have caught fire too, including one that forced a Southwest Airlines flight in Louisville, Kentucky to be evacuated on October 5th. Another replacement Note7 caught fire in a Farmington, Minnesota girl’s hand on October 7th.
Here's Samsung's official statement:
We are working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place.We remain committed to working diligently with the CPSC, carriers and our retail partners to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase. For more information, consumers should visit samsung.com/us/note7recall or contact 1-844-365-6197.
These new incidents suggest that the Note7’s issue is not limited to a single battery supplier like Samsung first thought. The Note7 is clearly a safety risk at this point, and we recommend that anyone that currently owns a Note7 heed Samsung’s advice and immediately power down the device and store it in a fire-safe location until it can be returned or exchanged.
Source: Samsung
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metayoshi - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
I don't have a note, nor would I be one of those who use the stylus in the note extensively, but I have used a note and its stylus, and the crappy generic capacitive styli you can buy anywhere do not even compare to something as integrated as the Note's Stylus, similar to how the Surface Pen and the Apple Pencil work beautifully with their respective devices.gipper51 - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
I've tried a generic stylus on devices, and they are universally terrible for writing. If you want something to play games or peck on the keypad with, then fine. But if you want something that is close to a true pen, you need an integrated stylus. The Note's is pretty damn good, and I've used the SP4.MrCommunistGen - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
An active stylus (used by the entire Note series) is pretty significantly superior to a passive capacitive stylus that you can use with any touchscreen.I'm not saying that a stylus has to be active for it to be valuable, but for many who *want* the stylus on the Note, it is a pretty big selling point.
halcyon - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link
melgross - Monday, October 10, 2016:"Any phone can be used with a stylus. It's slightly more convenient with the note."
Sure, but not with similar accuracy, pressure sensitive pen and with all the pen software features.
Actually, you are so off-the-base in comparison, you clearly have not used the Note series. There's a reason it sells well. The accurate/useful pen features is one of them.
Tams80 - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link
You could get a Note 4, though I doubt security updates will remain for long.jk1 - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link
i'm still running a note 4 and am very happy with it. it was the last phone that let you swap batteries - much more convenient than carrying an external recharger. also has a micro sd slot. it's not waterproof- the only drawback. furthermore you can get a brand new one for about $330 and a refurb for less. what's not to like?melgross - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
The problem here isn't just a battery. The whole story about this issue is much more complex.First of all, Samsung, at the last minute decided to put a larger battery in the unit than it was designed for. The battery apparently slipped in. But when heating up, batteries expand a bit. The phone wasn't designed for this larger expansion. That squeezed the battery in its space betwee[n the two plates that hold it in place.
What I think ovccurred is that the battery, which is encased by a thin flexible plastic covering, expanded in the direction that was open. Over repeated heating cycles, that edge popped, allowing hot gasses to jet out, the way it would happen if you squeezed a small balloon between your hands. The hot gasses and flames caused the side of the phone to peal away, and the flames and smoke shot out.
What I've been reading, the head of the Consumer And Product Safety Commission stated that it was that design problem that squeezed the battery and eventually caused the short. At one point, Samsung said something similar.
Im assuming that the replacement batteries from Amperex are slightly thinner, but still a bit too thick. It's very likely that if Samsung stayed with the battery the phone was actually designed to use, even with shorter battery life, then this problem would not have occurred.
But now we're beginning to see a few Edge models burning up as well, and a couple of S7 models. So maybe there's something going on here.
shabby - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
Source?Lord 666 - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
Common sense. It's the only logical explanationMichael Bay - Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - link
Except LiPo doesn`t "expand" nearly enough. It`s not a slab of metal under a thousand degrees.