Samsung is starting it all over again, and consumers – at least in South Korea – seem to be more forgiving than analyst had expected. The Korean company has officially announced the relaunch of new and safe Galaxy Note 7 that are not vulnerable to catching fire and exploding. According to Yonhap news agency, Samsung sold about 45,000 units of the new Note 7 over the three-day holiday weekend.
Over one million people using new Galaxy Note 7
It indicates that there is latent demand for the phablet. Also, there were some pre-orders that were not fulfilled before the company recalled the Note 7 due to faulty batteries. Samsung said the new batch of phablets had been shipped to retail stores, partners, and carriers around the world. The new Note 7s should hopefully be free of defective batteries.
The recall is proceeding well. Samsung said more than one million people worldwide are now using Galaxy Note 7 with safe batteries. Following the relaunch, the company is pushing the Note 7 aggressively through customer experience stores. Analysts also expect a massive advertising campaign. Samsung is confident that the Note 7 can still get back in the game.
Consumers showing faith in Galaxy Note 7
The company said most consumers seeking replacement to their faulty Note 7s were opting for a new Note 7 rather than seeking another model or refund. It shows that customers still have faith in Samsung. Its claims are backed by Korean brand watcher Brand Stock, which said Monday that Samsung remained the country’s favorite brand during the third-quarter.
The battery issue had become a nightmare for Samsung. There were more than 100 confirmed reports of the brand new Note 7 catching fire or exploding. The global recall of 2.5 million Note 7s is estimated to cost Samsung billions of dollars. The electronics giant is putting the recall issue behind it as quickly as possible ahead of the iPhone 7 launch in South Korea next week.
Samsung apologizes to Chinese customers
Samsung has also apologized to its users in China for failing to explain why the Note 7s sold in the country were safe. The company said the Note 7s sold in China packed batteries from a different supplier to those that could overheat. However, a string of Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions in China could hurt its business in the world’s largest smartphone market.
In the United States, T-Mobile announced that it would resume sales of Galaxy Note 7 beginning October 5. Customers can purchase it through the carrier’s offline stores or website. Verizon and Sprint were already selling the new, safer Note 7s. However, AT&T is yet to announce when it would resume sales.
Provided the new Note 7s don’t explode, Samsung has a chance to regain the lost ground with its reputation intact.
