Replacement Samsung Note7 Smartphones With Unaffected Batteries Available in Stores
The company is also rolling out warning messages to owners of affected devices.
New York -- Samsung has announced today that replacement Galaxy Note7 smartphones are now available in stores, for customers who purchased units that were part of a government recall over battery fire concerns.
The arrival of some 500,000 devices at U.S. stores comes as the company is working to rectify a confusing recall process that has generated a public relations nightmare for the company.
Samsung is strongly encouraging users who own phones with affected batteries to exchange them for new devices.
A software update is being rolled out to owners of affected Note7 devices; a warning message will be displayed on screens urging users to power down devices and bring them in.
The update will also change the color of the battery indicator icon to green on Note7 devices that do not have faulty batteries.
Owners with defective devices can find further information about the recall on Samsung's website, which can be accessed here.
With the replacement device and software rollout, Samsung is making good on a promise the company made last week, when a government-sanctioned recall was announced the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to deliver new devices by Sept. 21.
The recall states that customers can have their affected devices replaced with an unaffected Note7 smartphone or another Samsung device. Alternatively, owners of affected devices can receive a refund.
"We are delivering as promised and moving quickly to educate consumers about the recall and make new Note7s available," said Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America.
In announcing the recall, the CPSC said that about 1 million units with faulty batteries had been sold in the U.S.
Baxter said last week that, at that time, approximately 130,000 Note7 devices had already been exchanged.
The Note7 debuted on Aug. 19 to glowing reviews. However, within days, social media posts of the device exploding or catching fire began to emerge.
The company attempted to avoid a government recall by establishing a "product exchange" on Sept. 2.
After criticism and more reports of fires potentially started by Note7 devices, the company sought an official recall with the CPSC, which was announced nearly two weeks later.
ABC News' Daniel Steinberger contributed to this report.
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