Dubai: In response to the recent announcement regarding battery cell issue of the devices, Samsung Gulf Electronics has announced an exchange program for Galaxy Note7 owners in the region.
“Samsung has started replacing the recalled Galaxy Note7 devices from Thursday and the Samsung call center is calling on customers to let them know about the exchange program,” Gulf News quoted sources close to the company as saying.
The Korean smartphone leader issued a global recall of Galaxy Note7 following reports in the US, Taiwan, Australia, China and South Korea of the phone exploding during or after charging, the report said.
Samsung reportedly sold around 2.5 million Note7s globally and around 19,000 in the UAE.
“Samsung is taking a proactive approach to address customer needs around the Note7,” Esmail Yoon, president of Samsung Gulf Electronics, reportedly said. “We are encouraging customers to replace their Note7 by taking advantage of our replacement programme. The safety and satisfaction of our customers is Samsung’s top priority.”
For customers, who have the Galaxy Note7 device, Samsung will voluntarily exchange their current device to a new Galaxy Note7 over the coming weeks till December 31, 2016, at multiple locations in the UAE. Customers have the option of getting a full refund or another Samsung smartphone, said the news portal.
There will also be a separate hall at the Dubai World Trade Center, during Gitex Shopper, from October 1 to 8.
The source was quoted as saying by GulfNews that the phones were available last week but was waiting for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE and Department of Economic Development (DED) approvals.
Both the approvals were obtained from the TRA and DED and the exchange program has started, the source added.
“The exchange is for a new Note7 — exchange a Note7 for a Galaxy S7 Edge or refund the full amount. We exchanged around 2,000 units so far. More stocks will land in the UAE on Saturday,” a source reportedly said.
The new Samsung Note7 box will have ‘S’ sign and the battery charging color on the status bar will be green instead of the usual white color, the report pointed out.
“Some people refused to return their Samsung Galaxy Note7, so the company has limited the charging capacity to 60 percent to force the users to exchange the device. Around 85 percent of the customers want a replacement Note7 and only 15 percent opted for another device or refund,” the source was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
