Samsung
Samsung is getting its fingerprint scanner modules for its smartphones from other suppliers. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Galaxy Note 7 has brought a lot of headache to customers and it has potentially tarnished Samsung’s reputation as well. Now, Samsung is said to be preparing a new compensation program for Note 7 owners, so they will be able to get the Galaxy S8 for free or for a discounted price.

The upcoming compensation program will only be for customers who exchanged their Note 7 for the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge during the first or second recall. Customers will exchange their Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge for the Galaxy S8 when it’s released next year. “The new compensation program is designed to make it easier for those who exchange their Galaxy Note 7 with existing smartphones, to shift into our next model coming next year,” a Samsung spokesperson told The Korea Economic Daily (via SamMobile).

The cost of the exchange will either be zero (free) or nominal that will depend on whether a customer exchanged their Note 7 for the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge on the first or second recall. The Galaxy S8 is expected to launch in early March 2017. Samsung has not disclosed detailed information on how it will mobilize the compensation program yet.

As of now, Samsung still doesn’t know what caused the overheating issue that's plaguing the Note 7, according to the Wall Street Journal. It was initially believed that the problem with the device was caused by faulty batteries supplied by Samsung SDI Co. which prompted the first recall and replacement program in early September.

The first recall failed to address the issue with the Note 7 prompting a second recall earlier this month. Even with the second recall, some Note 7 units continued to catch fire, causing Samsung to stop production of the Note 7 entirely.

The South Korean company is still investigating what happened to the Note 7 and has even tasked Galaxy S8 engineers to help out. This has apparently delayed the development of the Galaxy S8 by two weeks, signaling the possibility that Samsung may not meet its targeted March 2017 release date.

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