Samsung has announced that it will start its replacement program for the Galaxy Note 7 in Australia tomorrow. This news comes more than two weeks after the manufacturer issued a global recall of the handset following reports of units spontaneously bursting into flames while on charge.
To coincide with the launch of the exchange program, Samsung will also distribute a crucial OTA update for all Galaxy Note 7‘s currently in the hands of customers in the region. The upgrade is believed to improve user safety by limiting the battery's maximum charge to just 60% of its capacity.
“The safety of our customers is our first priority. For this reason, we are working to identify and execute all appropriate measures to protect customer safety,” said Richard Fink, Vice President IT & Mobile at Samsung Electronics Australia, during a press conference.
“We continue to urge customers who still have an affected Galaxy Note7 to complete a data back-up and factory reset before powering-down the device and returning it to their place of purchase to seek a replacement Galaxy Note7 or alternate remedy of their choice.”
The South Korean company will also roll out an update to all replacement models of the Galaxy Note 7. Unfortuantely, it doesn't bring any new features to the device. Instead, it merely turns the battery indicator from white to green, indicating that the phone is safe to use and doesn't pack a faulty cell.
