Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners who refuse to exchange their devices now have a quick fix for the exploding battery issue: never fully charge the device.
Following an increasing number of reports regarding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exploding batteries, the company was left with no choice other than to issue a global Galaxy Note 7 recall.
Samsung quickly set up an exchange program and strongly advised all Galaxy Note 7 owners to bring in their device and wait for a replacement once the battery issue is fixed. Despite the great risks an exploding battery poses, not all Galaxy Note 7 owners sent their device back to Samsung.
For those stubborn device owners who refused to exchange their Galaxy Note 7, Samsung now has a sort of solution in place to limit the risk of an exploding battery. More specifically, the company's quick fix is to charge the device's battery only up to 60 percent.
To make sure that device owners don't get a say in this and risk their safety, Samsung is making this mandatory through a software patch that limits the recharging. Galaxy Note 7 owners will not be able to go past that charging cap and fully charge their Galaxy Note 7. This cap aims to ensure that the battery does not overheat.
"It is a measure to put consumer safety first but we apologize for causing inconvenience," Samsung said in an ad on the front page of a newspaper in its home country of South Korea, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners in South Korea who ignored the company's recall message will receive the update patch starting on Sept. 20. Global users should get the same treatment shortly after.
Just to be clear, this does not mean that from now on, every Galaxy Note 7 unit will have a battery charging cap set at 60 percent tops. The defective devices returned to Samsung will be replaced and will be able to fully charge, with no charging limit. The cap applies only to devices that are potentially defective and have not been exchanged.
Considering that an exploding battery can cause some serious damage, however, it's paramount that all Galaxy Note 7 owners exchange their devices as soon as possible, if they haven't already.
For more information on how to exchange your Galaxy Note 7, check out Samsung's announcement from last week. Lastly, it's worth pointing out that Samsung refuted recent claims that it will remotely deactivate any Galaxy Note 7 units that have not been exchanged.
