It's going to take Samsung a week or so to start supplying its carrier and retail partners across the globe with replacement inventory so that it can start replacing existing Galaxy Note 7 handsets with new units. Samsung has already confirmed that it's going to voluntarily replace each and every Galaxy Note 7 unit that has been shipped across the globe after the handset's release on August 19. In case you're unaware, the company is doing that after it found a battery cell issue that caused batteries in more than 35 Galaxy Note 7 units to explode. It has explained what's causing the batteries to explode and has said that the manufacturing error is no longer a concern for units being produced now.
How will you as a customer know that the unit you're being given has a battery that's not at risk of exploding? Samsung Electronics Australia has provided some more information today about the device replacement process. It confirmed that replacement stock will be available for customers in the country starting September 21. It also revealed how new and old units can be identified.
There will be clear identifiers on the retail box of a new Galaxy Note 7 unit. Identifiers include a small black square on the white barcode label as well as a white sticker with a blue letter “S.” Samsung Australia is also going to establish an online IMEI database where customers will be able to verify using the IMEI number of a Galaxy Note 7 to confirm if it's one of the new replacement units. One such database has already been set up by Samsung for customers in China and Hong Kong.
It's quite likely that this exact same method might be used in other markets across the globe to enable customers to identify Galaxy Note 7 users with safe batteries. Samsung gave itself a two-week deadline to start sending out replacement inventory across the globe.
