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​Samsung begins Note 7 exchange in South Korea

Samsung Electronics has begun exchanging the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea, with official sales restarting on September 28. The exchange in the US will start this Wednesday, September 21.
Written by Cho Mu-Hyun, Contributing Writer

Samsung Electronics has on Monday started the exchange program in South Korea for the Galaxy Note 7, 17 days after the company announced a global recall for the devices following reports of them catching fire.

Subscribers to SK Telecom and KT must visit the store that they bought their Galaxy Note 7 for an exchange, while those with LG Uplus can visit any store in the country for a new device.

Consumers can only get a new Note 7 in the same color to the device they originally purchased. The deadline for a refund or alternative device is also Monday.

It follows Canada's recall, which began on September 12, and Singapore's on September 16. The exchange in the US will begin this Wednesday, September 21.

Official sales of the devices will begin on September 28 in South Korea.

Newly produced Galaxy Note 7s given to consumers will have a green battery indicator instead of white, to differentiate them from the initial faulty models.

Since sales began before the recall, an estimated 400,000 units were sold in South Korea and around 1 million were sold in the US, out of the global total of 2.5 million.

On Tuesday, Samsung is commencing a software upgrade to limit the battery charging cap for previously sold Note 7s at 60 percent. In a test message sent over the weekend, the company apologized for the hassle but said limiting the charging capacity will decrease the chance of overheating.

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