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U.S. carrier Verizon starts taking orders
for new Samsung Note 7 phones
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 [September 21, 2016]
By Se Young Lee
SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. carrier Verizon
Communications Inc <VZ.N> has begun taking orders for Samsung
Electronics Co Ltd's <005930.KS> new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, after
having stopped sales of the device earlier due to fire-prone batteries.
Samsung has recalled about 1 million Note 7 smartphones in the United
States, offering to replace or refund the flagship phones. Their
susceptibility to catching fire - with more than 100 cases reported
across the globe - has damaged the image of the South Korean company.
Globally, the world's top smartphone maker has recalled at least 2.5
million handsets, in a major setback for the company that is looking to
claw back market share from rivals, including Apple Inc <AAPL.O> that
recently released its latest iPhones.
Samsung halted new sales ahead of the recall as it prepared replacement
Note 7 devices with safe batteries.
The new Note 7 phones have been approved by the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission for all purchases and exchanges, Verizon said on its
website, adding it has the Samsung device available for sale starting
Wednesday.
The largest U.S. wireless carrier warned that initial quantities could
be limited.
Samsung said in a statement on Tuesday that it had shipped more than
500,000 new Note 7s to U.S. carriers and retailers and that affected
users will be able to exchange their recalled phones starting by
Wednesday at the latest. The statement did not specify when new sales
would start.
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A model poses for photographs with a Galaxy Note 7 new smartphone
during its launching ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, August 11,
2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo
Rival carrier Sprint Corp's <S.N> website also showed the Note 7
available for order, providing a list of stores where customers can
pick up a new handset by appointment.
Samsung did not immediately comment on the U.S. sales plans.
The firm previously said it will resume new sales in South Korea
starting Sept. 28 and that sales in Australia and Singapore would
resume sometime in October.
(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Tony Munroe and Himani
Sarkar)
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