On September 2nd, Samsung announced a big recall and admitted its flagship phone suffered from a serious battery cell manufacturing fault that made the phones unsafe to use. Twenty days ago, Samsung said it was aware of 35 incidents, which is a pretty big number considering the phone was on the market for barely two weeks.
A recall was rolled out and Samsung advised customers to turn off their Galaxy Note 7, a warning ignored by many users because a lot of folks think the risk is low and they don't want to switch to a lesser phone until a Note 7 replacement is available. With its large 5.7-inch screen, the Galaxy Note 7 is ideal for browsing the web, checking out your friends' latest antics on Facebook, trying your hand at video slots, some casual games or making Skype calls. It's not smart but it's understandable users don't want to switch until they can get a new Note 7, although our advice is to stop using the device asap. Furthermore, the US FAA banned airline passengers from using Galaxy Note 7 devices during flight, and shipping companies like FedEx and UPS reportedly refused to cooperate with Samsung to to collect the phones out of fears the devices may pose a fire risk if users forget to switch them off.
The good news is that a new batch of safe Galaxy Note 7 phones arrived in US earlier this week. Samsung says it now has 500,000 replacements available, so Note 7 owners will soon be able to head to the store to replace their risky unit for a safe one. The safe models will have a black square marking on the product box, and will have a green battery indicator instead of a white one.
Other parts of the world will need to wait a bit longer for Galaxy Note 7 availability. For example, Samsung Canada said sales will resume in mid-October, so within a couple of weeks fans of Canadian online casino games will be able to experience slot games once more on their device. Earlier today, we also heard the Galaxy Note 7 will hit the Benelux on October 10, about one month later than initially expected.
Analysts estimate the cost of the Galaxy Note 7 recall may result in a hit of about $1 billion to Samsung's profit. The lasting brand damage is harder to estimate but a recent survey suggests a lot of Note 7 owners do not plan to stick with the Note 7 and will opt for a refund, switch to Apple's iPhone or opt for a different Samsung phone.