Although the Galaxy Note7's tendency to explode has been a disaster for Samsung, it's hard to deny that they're doing a good job with damage control. A few days ago, the Korean company promised that replacement devices would be available no later than September 21st. Tomorrow's the 21st, so Samsung's evidently kept their word.
In a statement given today, Samsung not only discusses the arrival of revised Note7s at retailers, but also the controversial green icon found in the status bar of new devices. This icon will be added through a software update, and will also appear in the reboot menu and the always-on display.
In addition, for those of you who are still clinging on to your old Note7s, a safety recall notice will appear whenever the phone is powered up or charged. It's hard to imagine that Note7 owners haven't heard about the recall though, considering its coverage on TV, Tim Baxter's apology video, and how many sponsored/promoted posts in social media they're doing.
PRESS RELEASE
Samsung Galaxy Note7 U.S. Voluntary Recall Update
Samsung Will Begin Note7 Exchanges Nationwide No Later Than September 21, 2016
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced that over 500,000 new Galaxy Note7 replacement devices have arrived in the U.S. and have been shipped to carrier and retail stores. New Galaxy Note7 devices will be available for exchange at retail locations nationwide tomorrow.
Software Update to Easily Identify New Galaxy Note7 Devices
Samsung also announced the rollout of a software update for new Note7 devices.
The software updates are being delivered in partnership with Carriers and will display a green battery icon on the status bar found on the top right hand of the screen. The green icon indicates that consumers have a new Galaxy Note7 with an unaffected battery.
Samsung and the U.S. CPSC have and continue to urge all consumers of Note7s sold prior to September 15 to power down their device. For those not heeding that advice or are still not aware of the recall notice, a software update will be pushed to all recalled devices. Once installed, users will be prompted with a safety notice that urges owners to power down and exchange their recalled device. The notice will appear every time a user powers up or charges their device.
For details on the software update visit www.samsung.com/us/note7recall.
“Working hand in hand with the CPSC, we are delivering as promised and moving quickly to educate consumers about the recall and make new Note7s available,” says Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America. “New devices will be in stores no later than tomorrow and we will continue to take the necessary actions to ensure users are powering down and immediately exchanging recalled devices.”
In conjunction with the CPSC, carriers and retailers, Samsung continues to maximize its reach to Note7 owners through multiple touchpoints, including direct communications, customer service, social media, marketing and in-store communications.
Consumers are encouraged to visit samsung.com/us/note7recall for carrier and retailer specific instructions on how and where to exchange their Note7 device.
Galaxy Note7 Recall - Facts-at-a-glance:
1. 09/02/16: Samsung Announces Note7 battery cell issue and stop sale
2. 09/09/16: Samsung and CPSC issue “power down and stop use” guidance
3. 09/15/16 : CPSC voluntary recall announced (insert hyperlink)
4. 09/15/16: Device Check (IMEI) identification program launched
b. Dedicated toll-free number 1-844-365-6197
c. Samsung+ self-check function
5. 09/20/16: Firmware update released for new Galaxy Note7s and recalled devices
6. 09/21/16: Over 500,000 new Note7 replacement devices available for exchange
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA) is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.
