Samsung’s mid-range SM-G5510 smartphone gets TENAA certification

We first reported last month that Samsung is working on a new mid-range handset bearing model number SM-G5510. It appears to be a successor of the Galaxy Grand On (SM-G5500) with specifications that include a 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 425 processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage as well as a 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera. We recently spotted it on an import tracker as it made the journey to India for testing and evaluation.

TENAA – China’s equivalent of the FCC – has now certified the SM-G5510. This step is usually taken as an indication that a rumored device is real and that it’s going to be out in the near future. All of the specs we have previously heard about have been reiterated in the TENAA listing which also brings us a couple of images of this handset. It looks like just about any other mid-range Android handset from Samsung so don’t expect anything too extraordinary. Samsung is yet to confirm when the SM-G5510 is going to be launched and how much it’s going to cost.

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Customers in the US are unable to exchange Galaxy Note 7 units purchased from Samsung.com

If you’re in the United States and you purchased your Galaxy Note 7 from a retailer or carrier then it’s very easy to exchange your unit for a new one. The company has already provided replacement inventory and retailers are handing them out to customers who have turned in their handsets for a replacement. However, it’s not that easy if you purchased the handset from Samsung.com.

An exchange program for customers who bought the flagship from Samsung.com isn’t up and running yet because shipping partners are not working with Samsung on this. Both FedEx and UPS have refused to ship Galaxy Note 7 units with faulty batteries back to Samsung as they are a potential fire hazard and the company won’t process an exchange unless it receives the old unit first.

Samsung confirmed to a customer who purchased their handset from the company’s website that “At this time due to FedEx and UPS refusing to transport the packages there’s no exchange program.” There’s still hope, though. Samsung says that a new program will be introduced for these customers instead of the Return/Refund system that’s being implemented across the globe. This new system is said to go live in the coming days so further details will be available later this week.

Until the system goes live, the only solution customers who purchased the handset from Samsung.com have is to manually return their phone for a refund and purchase a new one when replacement inventory arrives. However, since this is not part of the official exchange program customers won’t get a loaner device. Samsung does say that it has found a private shipping company that’s willing to ship the handsets so the new exchange program for these customers should go live in the near future.

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Samsung kicks off the Galaxy Note 7 exchange program in South Korea

17 days ago, Samsung announced that it would issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 following reports of handsets catching fire while on charge. The firm has today made good on its promise as it has kicked off its exchange program in South Korea.

To receive a replacement device, KT and SK Telecom customers will need to visit the very same store that they purchased their Galaxy Note 7 from, while those tied into a contract with LG Uplus can show up at any store in the country.

If you’re unfamiliar with the exchange program, it essentially works like this: Upon arriving at your network’s local brick-and-mortar store, you’ll be awarded a new Galaxy Note 7 in the same color as the one you originally purchased.

Official sales of the Galaxy Note 7 will restart in the region on Wednesday, September 28.

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Samsung reportedly rushed the Galaxy Note 7 to beat the iPhone 7

The Galaxy Note 7′s battery woes are well documented. It’s expected that Samsung will spend as much as $1 billion trying to clear up this mess and now that it has finally started sending out replacement inventory we can try to find out why all of this happened in the first place. A new report suggests that it was Samsung’s intention to beat the iPhone 7 to the market this year which caused it to rush the Galaxy Note 7 as well as its battery at Samsung SDI.

Bloomberg reports that Samsung predicted early on this year that the iPhone 7 wasn’t going to be that big of an update and saw this as a perfect opportunity to introduce a feature-packed Galaxy Note 7. The latest flagship brings several new features to the Note lineup including but not limited to the dual-edge curved display and the iris scanner. It also features a battery that’s larger than any of its predecessors and supports fast charging. Samsung also moved up the launch by ten days to undercut the iPhone which is probably why the focus might have been on getting this handset out the door as soon as possible. The rush to beat the iPhone 7 is now being mentioned as a major reason behind the Galaxy Note 7.

If that really is the case, Samsung wouldn’t be too happy with how it all turned out. The company has already lost tens of billions of dollars in market value and its brand value has taken a significant hit as well. The intended purpose has not been achieved as well because Samsung had to suspend sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and they remain suspended to this day while the iPhone 7 has already been released.

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Samsung to launch the Galaxy J7 Prime in India later today

Samsung is holding a press event in Gurgaoen, India later today. The firm is expected to use the conference as an opportunity to launch its souped-up variant of the Galaxy J7 (2016) in the region following its successful release in Vietnam a little over three weeks ago.

The Galaxy J7 Prime will be sold alongside the original Galaxy J7 and the Galaxy J7 (2016). It will carry a slightly steeper price tag of INR 18,790 ($282), and will pack a 5.5-inch full HD display, an 8MP selfie snapper, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of flash storage and a biometric scanner.

Aside from these minor alterations, the handset is pretty much identical to its predecessor, the Galaxy J7 (2016), in terms of specifications. It’s completely different from an aesthetic perspective, though. Samsung has finally ditched the dreadful plastic unbody in favor of a more durable and robust aluminium frame.

 

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Safe Galaxy Note 7 units are already making their way to customers in the US

Samsung confirmed earlier this month that it’s going to voluntarily replace all Galaxy Note 7 units shipped since the device was released on August 19. It’s now urging people to take part in its replacement program for the new flagship smartphone. The company recently confirmed that it’s going to send out replacement stock of safe Galaxy Note 7 handsets that don’t feature a battery that’s a potential fire hazard no later than September 21. However, it appears that the safe units are already finding their way to customers in the United States.

We’re seeing multiple reports online from customers who have been notified by Best Buy that their replacement Galaxy Note 7 units are ready for pickup. So far all of the reports have a common denominator: Best Buy. No other Samsung carrier or retail partner appears to be handing out the replacement devices even if they have received some inventory from the company. Since Samsung has confirmed that replacement inventory will be provided to customers in the United States no later than September 21, this should instill confidence in customers that they may really not have to wait beyond September 21 to get a safe Galaxy Note 7 unit and be done with all of this once and for all.

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Florida man sues Samsung after his Galaxy Note 7 allegedly explodes in his pocket

When Samsung announced an official recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States it confirmed to having received reports of more than 90 Galaxy Note 7 handsets burning up due to the battery cell issue. Prior to the recall announcement no lawsuits had been filed but a Florida man has now filed what appears to be the first US lawsuit in the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The man claims that he suffered second-degree burns after his Galaxy Note 7 exploded in his front pants pocket.

Jonathan Strobel is likely the first Galaxy Note 7 owners in the United States to sue Samsung over the phablet’s battery defect. The lawsuit was filed one day after Samsung officially recalled over a million Galaxy Note 7 handsets in the United States. Strobel claims that the phone was in his front pants pocket when it exploded and burned right now which resulted in severe burns on his right leg. He also claims that his left thumb was severely burned as well when he was trying to take out the phone from his pocket.

Strobel’s lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering as well as other alleged injuries. A spokeswoman for Samsung said that the company does not comment on pending litigation, and reiterated the company’s call to Galaxy Note 7 owners that they should power their devices down and exchange them immediately. It merits mentioning here that almost all previous reports of the Galaxy Note 7 burning up have been linked to when the device was being charged.

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Samsung sells shares in four companies to free up cash

Samsung has revealed that it has sold shares in four technology companies to free up cash. It has sold shares in Dutch chip-equipment supplier ASML, Seagate, Sharp and Rambus. A spokeswoman for the company confirmed to Reuters that the total proceeds from this sale amount to $888.85 million. The spokeswoman did not reveal precisely when Samsung sold these shares.

It was reported earlier this month that Samsung has sold half of its stake in ASML for nearly $675 million while it sold its entire 4.2 percent stake in Seagate, 4.5 percent in Rambus and 0.7 percent in Sharp Corp. Based on closing prices on Friday, Samsung’s stake in Sharp, Rambus and Seagate is worth $456.4 million combined. Samsung has clarified that this sale does not impact the conglomerate’s business cooperation with these companies. Samsung has been tidying its portfolio to further focus on core businesses which include mobile, semiconductor and appliances, it will be using the proceeds from this sale to invest more in its core businesses. For this purpose the company also sold its entire printing business to HP for $1.05 billion.

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