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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Units to Be Remotely Deactivated Starting September 30?

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Units to Be Remotely Deactivated Starting September 30?

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 12 September 2016 17:46 IST

Highlights

A Redditor claims that all old handsets will be remotely deactivated
This deactivation process will begin after September 30
This move is to ensure that no defected units remain in the market

Samsung is now expediting the replacement programme for the Galaxy Note 7, urging all users to participate in the exchange program immediately. A Redditor has also shed light on Samsung's plans to remotely deactivate all old Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices as a safety measure after September 30.

The Redditor claims that the Samsung customer care has informed him that all the old handsets will be deactivated remotely to ensure that no defected pieces remain active in the market. This will also push all current users who haven't initiated the exchange process, to do so immediately. Samsung has urged all Galaxy Note 7 holders to contact their local customer service centres as soon as possible. He claims that the company will begin shipping packages to every Samsung Galaxy Note 7 buyer across the globe. The package will contain the new handset, the new Galaxy Gear VR, and a bag for putting the old device and handing it back. This replacement process is all done for free, and Samsung is even bundling $25 gift cards for the inconvenience.

Expediting the process was a needed move, as many cases of explosions were being reported across the globe. A jeep was set on fire in the US after a man left his Galaxy Note 7 on charge in the car, and a house garage also lit up after the handset was left on charge unattended. An Australian man was left with a $1400 hotel damages bill, after his unit exploded in the hotel room charring the bed sheet and the carpet.

Samsung has suspended worldwide sales of the Galaxy Note 7. The company has announced that it is working with all regulatory bodies to ensure that all defective handsets are taken off the market. Meanwhile, airline authorities in many countries, including India, have banned the use of the handset on flights.

Samsung looked to unveil the Galaxy Note 7 earlier than tradition to fend off competition from the iPhone 7. However, this defect in its home-grown SDI batteries caused its strategy to backfire badly, earning the company a bad reputation in the process. Samsung was seeing good sale numbers after a couple of years, and it hoped that the release of the Galaxy Note 7 would help push its growth further. However, the exploding Galaxy Note 7 controversy couldn't have come at a worst time for Samsung, and it could reportedly cost the company as much as $1 billion.

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