Despite the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall, a lot of people are still using their units frequently. Samsung Electronics, however, urged consumers to return their units over reports of the newly-released phones catching fire.
The company's global replacement program for the Galaxy Note 7 is deemed as a precautionary measure because of its battery cell issue. In fact, several reports show that some units exploded or caught fire while charging.
"Our number one priority is the safety of our customers. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note7s and exchange them as soon as possible," DJ Koh, Samsung's president of mobile communications business, said in a statement.
However, nearly two weeks after the recall, the device is still being used by its owners just as frequently. According to Apteligent, a mobile analytics company, the rate of usage of the smartphone has remained the same since Sept. 2, when Samsung officially issued the recall of the device.
The apparent restraint of the consumers to return their units may be due to Samsung's mishandling of its recall process. This is maybe due to the company's lack of efforts to coordinate with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and issuing conflicting information on how to handle the faulty device.
Initially, the tech firm said that there will be a voluntary replacement of the device in the coming weeks. However, it did not mention whether it's safe to continue using the device. After a week, the company said users should turn off their devices completely.
The CPSC, on the other hand, has not yet released an official recall order for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 since the nature of the recall has yet to be determined and confirmed.
Though an estimated 2.5 million units' recall of the smartphone is a daunting task, the company has not laid a tangible plan for its consumers. The recall may cost the South Korean company a staggering $5 billion in revenue.
