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Samsung is giving Note 7 owners a hefty discount on the Note 8
If you were one of the millions of people who had to give up the recalled Galaxy Note 7, fret not, because Samsung has your back. Today, as part of its Unpacked 2017 event in NYC, the company revealed that those of you who owned the previous model will get a hefty discount on the new Note 8. The only thing you have to do is trade in your current device and, depending on the brand and condition of it, you can get up to $425 off the latest Note smartphone. If you're interested in the juicy mea culpa offer from Samsung, you'll be able to take advantage of it on Aug. 24th, the day pre-orders go live on its website.
Korean watchdog backs Samsung's findings on faulty Note 7 batteries
Although Samsung has already revealed what caused its Note 7 smartphones to catch fire, an independent government firm is now confirming the tech giant's findings. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, which analyzes and enforces product safety, corroborated that Samsung's flagship device burst into flames because of two distinct battery flaws. One overheating issue was a result of small external casings putting too much pressure on the batteries, while the other happened due to the lack of insulation tape around the battery's structure.
Samsung buys full-page apologies in US newspapers over Note 7 recall
Samsung took out full-page apology ads in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Washington Post in an effort to reduce the damage done after its botched recall of the Galaxy Note 7. "An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry." It's not just its phones, however. The company has also had to issues a a recall for nearly three million washing machines, due to poorly fitted lids that could loosen and fly off during use -- it mentions this within the apology ad too. Samsung has already reported a 30 percent drop in profits last quarter due to the Note 7 recall. "Safety remains our top priority."
Samsung is setting up Galaxy Note 7 exchange stations in airports
Sasmung has officially cancelled the Galaxy Note 7 following its exploding battery scandal, but there are still plenty of people out there who need to exchange their phones. If you're planning to fly soon, that need got stronger a few days ago, when the US banned the phone from all flights. To help air travelers get a phone that they're actually allowed to have on a plane, Samsung is setting up exchange stations in airports to give customers refunds or a new phone.
Samsung tested its Galaxy Note 7 batteries in-house
The batteries that power Samsung's smartphones (including that Galaxy Note 7), are tested in a lab that's owned by the company. While it tests to ensure its phone batteries are certified by US wireless industry group the CTIA, Samsung's certified lab is housed inside its own testing facilities, unlike the likes of Apple and Lenovo, which get their tests done at third-party sites. (Update: We reached out to more smartphone makers: LG says it tests its batteries overseas, while Huawei tests both internally and externally.) The CTIA audits these labs to ensure personnel are qualified, that testing complies with standards, as well as checking that there is no undue influence from manufacturers.
Samsung's Note 7 crisis will cost at least $2.34 billion
Do you know what's really bad for your business? Selling a smartphone with a tendency to explode in your customer's pockets. That's why Samsung has revised its quarterly profit guidance, suggesting that it'll lose out on $2.34 billion in the current three-month period. That loss is all down to the Note 7 and its propensity for self-immolation that has so baffled the company's engineers.
US carriers exchange replacement Note 7s after airplane incident (updated)
A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started smoking and burned through the carpet on board a Southwest flight this week. Following the incident, one US carrier is allowing owners to exchange those replacement devices even though the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hasn't issued a formal warning or recall yet. Sprint confirmed to Engadget it will allow customers to return their replacement Note 7 for another device at its retail stores "during the investigation window." The carrier says that it's working with Samsung "to better understand the most recent concerns" with the handset.
Recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7s can be charged to 80 percent (updated)
If you've failed to heed the warnings of Samsung and government regulators, it looks like you can now charge those recalled Note 7 batteries to 80 percent. The phones were recalled globally earlier this month following reports of exploding batteries, but the company issued an update that limited charges on the phone to 60 percent to avoid potential issues. That update only rolled out in Korea and didn't make it to the US.
Galaxy Note 7 replacements hit stores on September 21st
If you've turned in your Galaxy Note 7 (like you should!), you've probably been wondering when Samsung would start getting replacement devices out the door. Turns out you won't have to wait too long: the company just announced that "most retail locations" in the US will have the phone available on September 21st. This news comes as the US consumer safety group officially recalled the product, a move that Samsung already made a few weeks earlier.
