Despite what headlines might say, the occasionally-exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has not yet been recalled. Samsung has a “product exchange program” for owners of the device, and stores have been told not to sell it, but an official recall through the Consumer Products Safety Commission hasn’t yet happened. However, Samsung has announced how you’ll be able to tell which phones have the purportedly defective battery and which don’t.
There will be two indicators: first, we know from an announcement by Samsung Australia (via Ars Technica) that the boxes of phones produced after the non-recall will have two markers: there will be an “S” sticker and a black square near the IMEI number bar code.
Next week, there will be another way to find out which version of the device you have: Samsung announced that it will open up an IMEI database. The IMEI is the 15-digit identifying number on every mobile device, and phone owners will be able to type theirs in to find out its battery status.
The IMEI can be found on the box when the fixed version is released, and can also be found near the USB port on the bottom of the phone.
Replacement phones and a similar announcement in the U.S. will come after the CPSC approves the replacement devices and the recall becomes official. However, before that happens, the CPSC has asked owners of the Galaxy Note 7 to please stop using or charging their phones, and Samsung has asked users to please exchange their phones promptly in advance of an official recall.
How to tell an explosive Galaxy Note 7 from a non-explosive one [Ars Technica]
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist
No comments:
Post a Comment