SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SMSN.L, SSNNF.OB, SSNLF.OB) said it will delay restarting the sale of its Galaxy Note 7 phone in South Korea. The decision is said to reflect the requirement of more time for the global recall as dozens of devices caught fire.
Due to the overheating batteries of Galaxy Note 7, the South Korean tech giant was forced to recall some 2.5 million devices globally, that mainly affects 10 markets.
The company had decided to restart selling the phone on September 28, but is now expected to be available only on October 1 at the earliest. The phone was originally launched on August 19 and was well-received.
It was on September 2 that Samsung said it would stop selling the phones, and urged the people to stop using the device. It also offered to replace the ones already purchased after reports of battery overheating and fire.
US regulators have ordered a formal recall of the Note 7. The US Federal Aviation Administration urged the airline passengers not to bring the phones on planes unless they are turned off, and also asked not to charge them during the flight.
According to the company, some 200,000 customers have already returned their devices in South Korea, with the same number of people still left for the recall.
As per reports, in Australia and Singapore also the phone will be available for sale again in October.
Last week, Samsung started shipping Galaxy Note 7 phones to U.S.
Consumers were offered to replace their Note 7 with a new one or can exchange with Galaxy S7 or S7 edge. The price difference will be refunded to those who opt for other than Note 7 and they can also get a $25 gift card, in-store credit, in-store accessory credit, or bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX