Samsung rumored to be considering extended return period for Galaxy S8

The pressure is on for Samsung to knock it out of the park with the Galaxy S8. Between the competition from the new LG G6, Apple’s upcoming 10th anniversary iPhone and trying to rebuild its reputation, Samsung may be considering including a generous return period for its new flagship phones.

A report today from The Investor claims that Samsung may be looking to implement a large-scale marketing campaign that would offer “…unconditional refunds after up to three-month use.” As first noted by Chosun Biz, the unnamed sources claim that there are two primary reasons for Samsung to offer such a return policy.

First, you guessed it, Samsung would like to use this potential extended return period to reassure customers and rebuild its reputation after the Note 7 debacle. Or, to it put another way, Samsung may be trying to build consumer confidence by sending a message that it is confident in its newest product.

“During the refund program for the Note 7, there were many loyal customers who were reluctant to return the phone. Samsung is showing confidence in its product quality,” an industry source was quoted saying.

Another reported reason Samsung may be implementing such an aggressive offering is that its new Bixby AI may not be fully baked for the Galaxy S8 launch.

The S8 that will be unveiled on March 29 features Samsung’s first artificial intelligence assistant Bixby, but only limited functions will be available in the early days of the launch.

The company will reportedly announce a software upgrade within the first half of this year for more functionality. Until then, Bixby will work with Samsung’s 10 preloaded apps, including the photo gallery, contacts and messaging.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Samsung planning updates for several months after the Galaxy S8 launch to help its products stand out in the market. Another potential post-release update may bring payment verification through facial recognition.