Samsung plans to issue a software update for its recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that will prevent them from overheating by limiting battery recharges to 60 per cent.
The front page of the Seoul Shinmun, a South Korean newspaper, carried a Samsung Electronics advertisement on Tuesday announcing the software update for any users of the Note 7 who may be disregarding its recall notice and continuing to use the smartphone.
"It is a measure to put consumer safety first but we apologise for causing inconvenience," the advertisement said. The update for South Korean users will start on September 20, it said.
South Korean media earlier reported the software update plan, citing Samsung.
It was unclear when the update may be issued overseas and if it will be forced on existing Note 7 phones regardless of user consent. Yonhap News Agency reported that Samsung is in talks with global mobile carriers to deliver the same update to keep battery power at 60 per cent or below at all times.
Samsung plans to begin issuing new Note 7s with batteries it says will not be prone to overheating starting September 19 in South Korea. It recalled 2.5 million of the devices just two weeks after their launch after dozens of cases in which batteries exploded or caught fire. Samsung says the problem stems from a manufacturing glitch in the batteries.
