Recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7s can be charged to 80 percent
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.
SamMobile reports that if you choose to toggle off the battery-limiting feature, you can charge the faulty phones to 80 percent. It’s unclear whether this change will make it to the US, but we’ve reached out to Samsung for more information. Even still, you’re taking a big risk by continuing to use the phones.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission urged customers in the US to stop using the devices and return them immediately. Samsung has already shipped more than 500,000 replacement handsets to the US and said earlier this week than a quarter of gadgets sold in the country had already been returned. Seriously, just go ahead and return yours if you haven’t already. After you do, you’ll notice that the battery level indicator is green instead of white. That’s how you’ll know your device is safe to use.
Image credit: SamMobile
Via: The Verge, Phandroid
Source: SamMobile
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 7: Firestarter
Managing editor Dana Wollman, senior editor Nathan Ingraham and reviews editor Cherlynn Low join guest host Devindra Hardawar to discuss Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall, Uber’s self-driving cars and why the heck Google is making another messaging app.
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1
.750
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6
4
.600
Cherlynn Low
6
7
.461
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4
6
.4
Michael Gorman
1
2
.333
Relevant links:
- Allo brings Google’s ‘Assistant’ to your phone today
- macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year
- Google’s next phones may be much more expensive
- I drove around Pittsburgh in a self-driving Uber
- You can hail a self-driving Uber in Pittsburgh starting today
- US government outlines its policy on self-driving cars
- Samsung recalls the Galaxy Note 7 amid battery fears
- Samsung exec explains ‘facts’ of the Galaxy Note 7 recall
- US consumer safety group recalls the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Samsung’s replacement Galaxy Note 7s will be in stores tomorrow
You can check out every episode on The Engadget Podcast page in audio, video and text form for the hearing impaired.
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Samsung already exchanged half of recalled Galaxy Note 7s
A lot of Note 7 owners don’t have to sleep with one eye open anymore, according to Samsung’s latest press release. The company says it has already exchanged half of the Galaxy Note 7s sold in the US that had been turned in through its voluntary recall program. Further, 90 percent of the people who went in for the recall apparently asked for replacement Note 7s, which were released on September 21st, instead of getting another model. Samsung made sure those replacement devices are safe, but if you want to know if you really got one that won’t blow up, check its battery indicator. The safe Note 7s have green battery indicators, though you might have to download a software update to change its hue.
Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t reveal the state of the recall program for other countries. While the device’s battery issue only affects a small number of phones, the recall program will have to deal with 2.5 million phones overall. It doesn’t want to hear about more cases of devices overheating and setting skin and things on fire, after all. If you haven’t exchanged your device yet, get in touch with Samsung or your carrier ASAP wherever you are in the world.
Source: Samsung
Samsung’s replacement Galaxy Note 7s will be in stores tomorrow
More than 500,000 replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones have landed in the United States and been shipped to stores across the country, meaning anyone in need of a non-explosive device can get one tomorrow, September 21st, just as Samsung planned. Samsung is also rolling out a software update to all affected Galaxy Note 7s prompting users to turn off and exchange their devices every time they’re charged or powered on. An update released today additionally limits these phones to a 60 percent charge.
Early this month, Samsung recalled every Galaxy Note 7 sold around the world over a manufacturing malfunction that causes some devices to overheat, catch fire and even explode. The recall affects 2.5 million phones globally, and Samsung has received at least 92 reports of batteries overheating in the US alone. The Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalled the Galaxy Note 7 on September 15th. The Federal Aviation Administration and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority have also warned against traveling with the phones.
Twenty-five percent of all potentially flammable phones in the US have already been exchanged, Samsung tells The Verge. Anyone with a Galaxy Note 7 will be able to tell if their device is safe via a green battery icon that shows up in the status bar, always-on display mode or power-off screen.
Samsung shows how to identify safe Galaxy Note 7 models
Samsung has already hinted that there will be easy ways to determine whether or not the Galaxy Note 7 you have in your hand has a safe battery, but it’s not leaving anything to chance. The company has posted a guide that shows you exactly what to look for if you’re worried that someone gave you a dud. That green battery icon Samsung mentioned before? It’ll be everywhere, whether it’s in the status bar, the always-on display mode or the power-off screen. You can also look for a square symbol on the box label. These visual cues will likely be unnecessary before long, but it’s good to have them in case someone tries to sell you one of the fire-prone models.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Samsung Newsroom
Samsung begins replacing Galaxy Note 7 handsets in the UK
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.
Samsung’s Battery Crisis Began With Rumors of a ‘Dull’ iPhone
Samsung pushed suppliers to meet tighter deadlines for an earlier launch of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 after hearing that the iPhone 7 would have no major design changes, according to a new report published today.
The Bloomberg report cites multiple sources indicating that executives at Samsung saw rumors of Apple’s apparent lack of innovation this year as an opportunity, and quickly approved a slew of new features for the Note 7 after getting hold of an early version of the device.
According to one person familiar with the matter, the select group of top managers “gushed over the upgrades and praised each other’s work”, and approved a launch date 10 days earlier than last year. Samsung’s unveiling was August 3 this year, compared with August 13 in 2015.
As the launch date approached, employees at Samsung and suppliers stretched their work hours and made do with less sleep. Though it’s not unusual to have a scramble, suppliers were under more pressure than usual this time around and were pushed harder than by other customers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. One supplier said it was particularly challenging to work with Samsung employees this time, as they repeatedly changed their minds about specs and work flow. Some Samsung workers began sleeping in the office to avoid time lost in commuting, the supplier said. Samsung declined to comment on whether deadlines were moved, reiterating that products are only introduced after proper testing.
When the phones got into customers’ hands, reports of exploding handsets began. According to Bloomberg, executives at Samsung headquarters were in shock. Internally, there was a debate over whether to do a full-blown recall or to take less dramatic steps, like a battery replacement program. In the end, Samsung mobile chief decided on a full recall.
Samsung has drawn criticism for the steps it took next. Blindly driven by good intentions, the company announced the recall plans publicly before working out how millions of consumers in 10 countries would actually get replacements.
Then it sent mixed signals about what customers should do. First, Samsung told people to shut off their phones and stop using them. A few days later, it offered a software patch to prevent batteries from overheating, signaling consumers could keep using the phones.
But Samsung moved so fast it got ahead of regulators who help organize such programs. In the U.S. for example, companies are supposed to notify the Consumer Product Safety Commission within 24 hours of uncovering problems. Instead, Samsung went public on its own and consumers didn’t have clear guidance on how to exchange their phones.
Asked to confirm that launch deadlines for the Note 7 were shifted, Samsung told Bloomberg that release dates are determined by “the proper completion of the development process and the readiness of the product for the market.”
Meanwhile sales of Apple’s iPhone 7 appear to have exceeded analysts’ expectations, particularly demand for the larger 7 Plus, which was all but sold out across the globe on launch day. The company’s choice of black handset color options has also piqued interest among consumers, despite concerns about the lack of a headphone jack on the new devices.
You can read more of the Bloomberg story here.
Tag: Samsung
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Samsung sued after Galaxy Note 7 explodes in pocket
With all those reports about Note 7s burning flesh and setting vehicles on fire, you’re probably wondering when you’ll hear about a lawsuit. Well, here you go. A man from Florida named Jonathan Strobel has filed a lawsuit against Samsung over an exploding Note 7, and it could be the first of its kind in the US. According to Reuters, the phone blew up in the plaintiff’s pocket while he was in a Costco on September 9th. It reportedly caused deep second-degree burns to his right thigh that’s about the size of the phone, as well as to his thumb.
That’s a week after Samsung announced its recall program and the same day the company started planning for an official recall in the country with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC finally launched an official, nationwide recall program for Note 7s on September 15th. “Unfortunately,” Strobel’s lawyer said, “for my client [it] came too late.”
When Samsung first announced that it’s taking back units it already shipped, there were only 35 reported cases of batteries overheating. That number climbed until it reached 92 cases, according to the CPSC. Since replacement Note 7s won’t be available until September 21st, though, most buyers still haven’t turned theirs in yet. A Samsung spokesperson refused to talk about the case with Reuters, but she urged “all Note 7 owners to power their device down and exchange it immediately.” As for Strobel, he’s now seeking damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, along with other injuries.
Source: Reuters
The FAA really doesn’t want you flying with a Galaxy Note 7
Samsung is already laying out the steps for how and when it will have new Galaxy Note 7s available, but everyone else is still dealing with the now-recalled first batch. Eight days ago the FAA warned travelers against using or charging them in-flight, and today put some teeth behind that with a pair of advisories for airlines (PDF) and passengers (PDF). If you’ve flown lately, you’ve probably heard some level of warning against using a Galaxy Note 7 or, on some flights, even all Samsung mobile devices, and the FAA’s Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) should provide more detail on what they’re looking for.
FAA Issues Airline Guidance on Recalled Devices https://t.co/3j2JTFLbRm #GalaxyNote7 pic.twitter.com/KX2C3pRzm0
— The FAA (@FAANews) September 16, 2016
Now that the CPSC is involved and it’s an official recall, the FAA has also issued a reminder that hazardous material regs “prohibit air cargo shipments of recalled or defective lithium batteries and lithium battery-powered devices.” According to the FAA, if you have one of the recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones, the only way you can bring it with you is to follow these steps:
- Turn off the device
- Disconnect the device from any charging equipment
- Disable all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone (e.g. alarm clock)
- Protect the power switch to prevent its unintentional activation, and
- Keep the device in carry-on baggage or on your person (Do not place in checked baggage)
Or, just don’t bring it at all, and return the device immediately.
Source: FAA, FAA SAFO (PDF), DOT Advisory (PDF)
The Engadget Podcast Ep 6: I Beg Your Pardon
Managing editor Dana Wollman and reviews editor Cherlynn Low join host Terrence O’Brien to discuss all the latest Apple goodies. Plus they’ll talk about Samsung’s software bandaid for your exploding Note 7 and debate whether or not Edward Snowden deserves a presidential pardon.
The Flame Wars Leaderboard
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3
1
.750
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2
1
.666
Dana Wollman
2
1
.666
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6
4
.600
Nathan Ingraham
3
4
.429
Cherlynn Low
4
6
.400
Michael Gorman
1
2
.333
Relevant links:
- ACLU and Amnesty International ask Obama to pardon Snowden
- Edward Snowden explains why Obama should pardon him
- NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use
- Samsung’s Note 7 exploding battery ‘fix’ is a 60 percent limit
- Apple releases iOS 10 and watchOS 3
- Apple’s AirPods aren’t a must-buy — yet
- iPhone 7 and 7 Plus review: Apple (mostly) plays it safe
You can check out every episode on The Engadget Podcast page in audio, video and text form for the hearing impaired.
Watch on YouTube
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