Irish Samsung customers can swap ‘fire-risk’ Galaxy Note7 phone

Irish Samsung customers can now exchange their Galaxy Note7s for a replacement phone, as the company announced the beginning of its exchange programme.

Sales and shipments of the Note 7 were stopped on September 2 when the company received reports of exploding batteries.

Vice president of IT & mobile Samsung electronics for the UK & Ireland Conor Pierce said the “absolute priority is the safety of our customers — that’s why we are asking all Galaxy Note7 customers to act now and exchange today”.

“We would like to apologise to our Note7 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.

“We are confident that by exchanging their existing device for a new Note7, customers can expect to enjoy a smartphone experience of the very highest quality.”

After a thorough inspection, Samsung says it is confident the battery issue has been completely resolved.

Updated software will be also be issued to all pre-ordered Note7 phones in Ireland and the UK from tomorrow, which will limit the phone’s battery charge power to 60%.

By doing this, Samsung is aiming to reduce the risk of potential incidents and convey the message to customers they should immediately exchange their current devices for a replacement.

According to Samsung, customers who exchange their current phones can be assured that their replacement is not affected by the battery issue, due to a new UX update.

This update displays a green battery icon (instead of the white battery icon available previously) on the notification bar, the power-off screen, or the Always-On display.