Samsung Galaxy S8 could have a 3-month refund policy

If you wind up buying and disliking the Samsung Galaxy S8, which launches March 29 in New York, you might be able to return it fuss-free for up to three months, according to according The Investor, citing Korean outlet Chosun Biz.

A three-month unconditional refund policy is considered generous in the mobile industry, which often has much shorter grace periods depending on the retailer. A two-week window would be common.

If true, the generous refund policy could be a reaction to the Galaxy Note 7 battery fires, which forced many people to return their phones against their will. Samsung is also battling the specter of the fires themselves, leaving fans to question whether Samsung could make safe phones.

An unconditional return policy for the Galaxy S8 -- along with an eight-point battery check -- could be Samsung's way of extending goodwill to buyers.

The return policy may mean that people who buy the S8 would be able to use it for up to three months, then return the phone for a full refund if they don't want it. This will allow Samsung to roll out updates to Bixby, its voice assistant for the S8 and future Samsung devices.

Although the initial version of Bixby will use only technology that Samsung created in-house, Samsung has committed to future Bixby updates that will help it work with third-party apps to do more on the phone, Samsung's R&D chief, Injong Rhee, told CNET.

A wide return window could allow buyers to use the phone with the upcoming Bixby updates before making a final decision whether to keep it.

:story: c|net