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Following airplane fire, Sprint will exchange your ‘safe’ Galaxy Note 7 for any other phone

Updated Oct 7th, 2016 12:57PM EDT
Galaxy Note 7 Replacement
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Don’t call it a second recall just yet — although another recall may be on the table — but Sprint is already taking preemptive actions based on growing customer concerns. The carrier said on Friday that it will let Galaxy Note 7 owners exchange their “safe” phone for any other smartphone following the airplane fire caused by one of Samsung’s replacement phones.

DON’T MISS: Under no circumstances should you buy a Galaxy Note 7

UPDATE: AT&T and T-Mobile are now offering to take back replacement Note 7 handsets as well. Details can be found here.

According to Recode, Sprint is the first carrier to put in place new measures to handle Galaxy Note 7 complaints. The company said that it “is working collaboratively with Samsung to better understand the most recent concerns regarding replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.”

“If a Sprint customer with a replacement Note 7 has any concerns regarding their device, we will exchange it for any other device at any Sprint retail store during the investigation window,” a Sprint representative said.

The phone that exploded aboard the plane was a replacement Galaxy Note 7 from AT&T, according to the phone’s owner. Samsung has not issued any updates on the matter, as it begins to investigate the incident. The FAA and CPSC are both investigating the Southwest Airlines Galaxy Note 7 incident, as well.

T-Mobile told Recode that customers could replace the replacement device or new Galaxy Note 7 under the company’s standard “remorse” policy that lets buyers return devices within 14 days. But the carrier hasn’t yet announced any additional steps it plans to take. AT&T and Verizon did not comment on the matter.

As Recode points out, all carriers are still offering Galaxy Note 7 replacement units, a full refund, or the ability to exchange the recalled phone for another device.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.