Samsung customers complain on overheating batteries of Galaxy Note 7 replacement devices

While Samsung Electronics honoured its promise to replace Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold across the globe, the South Korean tech firm remains in hot water due to complaints about the new devices’ overheating batteries.

Various outlets in South Korea reported incidents of newly exchanged Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices with irremovable batteries that overheats and lose power even while being recharged.

A spokesman for Samsung Electronics confirmed the reports on the Wall Street Journal but maintained that the reported complaints are “isolated cases” that are “unrelated to batteries.” The Samsung executive would not disclose the number of complaints registered in South Korea and declined to confirm if similar incidents were monitored across the globe.

Samsung Electronics decided to recall thousands of Galaxy Note 7 phones sold across the globe after discovering the Android smartphones’ fire hazards. Initial complaints about the flagship phone point to exploding batteries while charging. (Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 catches fire: South Korean company delays worldwide shipment to investigate reports of faulty batteries)

In Australia, over 51,000 units of Galaxy Note 7 devices were sold and each phone costs at least $1,349 to buy. Samsung Electronics Australia offered courtesy phones to customers who opted to get a replacement unit than refunding the amount of the device. (Read: Samsung Australia offers courtesy phones to Galaxy Note 7 owners starting Sep. 7)

Replacement devices were delivered to retail stores last week. Customers were notified by their respective telco providers and gadget stores when their replacement phones are available for pickup. New Galaxy Note 7 devices have green battery icons to distinguish them from the original batch. (Read: Samsung Australia to deliver Galaxy Note 7 replacement devices starting Sep. 21)

Sale of the new stock of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are expected to resume early in October, almost three months after the premium Android device’ launch on Aug. 11. in Seoul.

Considered as Samsung’s best and Android’s finest smartphone so far, Galaxy Note 7 is an iris-scanning device that is water-and-scratch resistant. The device is built on a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display and comes with a 3500mAh battery, a S Pen stylus, a 12-megapixel f/1.7 dual pixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera.

Galaxy Note 7’s infamous batteries are made by Samsung SDI Co., a sister company of Seoul-based smartphone maker. The remaining 35 percent were made by Hong-Kong based Amperex Technology Ltd.