Samsung is offering an upgrade program to Galaxy Note 7 owners which will allow them to trade in their devices for a Galaxy S8 or Note 8 at a discounted price. This is currently limited to customers in South Korea, and it is still unclear whether the promo will be available in other countries or not.
According to Reuters, Galaxy Note 7 owners who opt to partake in the program will shell out only about 50 percent of the price of the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge when trading in the recalled Note 7. They will also be qualified to exchange the Note 7 when the Galaxy S8 or Note 8 become available.
This could be Samsung's strategy to encourage Note 7 owners to surrender their phones since only 10 percent of around 500,000 owners sent their devices back. According to Samsung, the program will last only until Nov. 30. In the United States, Note 7 owners who choose to get a Samsung phone to replace their devices are given a $100 USD bill credit while those who choose to get a phone from a different brand get $25 USD credit.
Samsung is currently facing a crisis due to the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. In a bid to attract customers, the company is reportedly planning to give Galaxy Note 7 customers a discount on the upcoming Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Galaxy Note 8.
The Galaxy Note 7 was released in August when reports of exploding batteries surfaced. Samsung recalled the devices and stopped sales of the smartphone worldwide. After sending out replacement units of the smartphone, customers reported the same problem. This led to outrage and mistrust from loyal customers who have are even considering filing lawsuits against the company.
The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are expected to be released at the Mobile World Congress 2017 on Feb. 27 in Barcelona. The Galaxy Note 8 is likely to be released in August or September 2017.