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Singtel, StarHub, M1 stop Samsung Galaxy Note7 sales after global recall

SINGAPORE — All three telcos in Singapore have stopped sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Note7, after the South Korean company announced a global recall following reports of faulty batteries causing its latest flagship smartphone to catch fire.

Screen captures from a video taken of an allegedly burnt Samsung Galaxy Note7 on Aug 29, 2016. Source: Ariel Gonzalez/YouTube

Screen captures from a video taken of an allegedly burnt Samsung Galaxy Note7 on Aug 29, 2016. Source: Ariel Gonzalez/YouTube

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SINGAPORE — All three telcos in Singapore have stopped sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Note7, after the South Korean company announced a global recall following reports of faulty batteries causing its latest flagship smartphone to catch fire.

Singtel, Singapore’s biggest telco, said on Friday (Sept 2): “Following official notification from Samsung, Singtel has suspended sales of Galaxy Note7 devices. We are working with Samsung on an exchange programme for customers who have purchased the device. We will keep our customers closely updated.” Likewise, StarHub and M1 said they have stopped sales in line with Samsung’s global halt and will provide updates on phone exchanges later.

The Galaxy Note7, which was launched in Singapore on Aug 20, has been wildly popular with Android users who flocked to pre-order the device at the three major telcos, Samsung Experience stores, major consumer electronics stores Best Denki, Courts, Gain City, Hachi, and Harvey Norman as well as Lazada Singapore.

However, a Samsung spokesperson told TODAY that “Samsung is unable to share any figures on Note7 units sold in Singapore”.

Reports have emerged worldwide of the Galaxy Note7 catching fire during charging, with several people posting images and videos of their charred devices online. The smartphone has been launched in 10 countries so far and Samsung said there have been 35 cases globally as of Thursday. 

Samsung said it conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery problem but added it was “inappropriate to comment at this time which manufacturer’s battery cells were faulty”.

“We are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7,” the company said. Customers who have bought the Note7 could get it replaced with a new one in the coming weeks, and instructions on the replacement process will be announced next week.

“We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible,” the company said. Samsung did not reveal how many Galaxy Note7 phones will be recalled but said it would replace all phones sold to customers as well as retailers.

The Galaxy Note7 recall is a blow to Samsung’s reputation and robs the company of momentum it had built in smartphones by capitalising on a lull in demand for Apple devices between new iPhone models.

Demand for the iris-reading Note7, which debuted to glowing reviews, and the release of the company’s biggest profit in two years had driven its share price to a record as analysts raised their price targets.

Shares of Samsung closed 0.6 per cent higher at 1,597,000 won on Friday before the recall was announced.

“The unexpected recall would surely irritate buyers and the latest incident looks worrisome,” said Mr Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities in Seoul. He expects shipments of the Galaxy Note7 this year will shrink to 12 million units from a previous estimate of 14 million. He estimates the total number of handsets affected by the battery problem to be one million, with about 600,000 units sold outside South Korea.

Rival smartphone maker Apple has invited journalists to an event in San Francisco on Wednesday, where the world’s most valuable public company is expected to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone and Apple Watch. AGENCIES

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