Samsung begins replacing Galaxy Note 7 handsets in the UK
'Our absolute priority is the safety of our customers,' says Samsung.
Although Samsung acted quickly to stop the bulk of Galaxy Note 7s making their way to consumers before its recall in the UK, units were delivered before the official launch. Now that it's had to time to prepare, the company today kicked off its Galaxy Note 7 Exchange Programme, allowing those affected to swap their defective unit for a brand new one.
Samsung says that after a thorough inspection, it's confident that the battery issue, which caused some units to explode when on charge, has been "completely resolved" in the new stock arriving in the UK this week. The new devices have been updated to show a new "green" battery icon, which replaces the older white icon to signify that it's not affected by the same power issues.
"Our absolute priority is the safety of our customers – that's why we are asking all Galaxy Note 7 customers to act now and exchange today. We would like to apologise to our Note 7 customers for not meeting the standard of product excellence that they have come to expect from Samsung and we sincerely thank them for their understanding and patience," says Mobile VP Conor Pierce. "We are confident that by exchanging their existing device for a new Note 7, customers can expect to enjoy a smartphone experience of the very highest quality."
By now, UK providers and operators should have contacted owners to arrange an exchange. Samsung's customer support team is also handling replacements and can be contacted on 0330 7261000.
