How to tell if your Galaxy Note 7 is safe to use

Samsung's going to make it easy to check that new purchases — and replacement units — are unaffected by battery issues.

Samsung is replacing potentially dangerous Galaxy Note 7s purchased during the first few weeks of the phone's availability with new safe versions. As it does so, the manufacturer is also giving buyers a couple of ways to identify a safe Note 7.

Samsung Australia has updated its Galaxy Note 7 notice page with details of how to tell a safe Note 7 from an unsafe one. Replacement Note 7s issued after the recall will have a circular blue-on-white "S" sticker on the box, and a small black square on the sticker with the phone's unique IMEI number.

If you're unsure about the box markings, Samsung has also launched a tool on its recall website in which you can enter your IMEI or serial number to see if it is safe. To reveal the IMEI of your Note 7, go to Settings > About Phone > Status > IMEI information.

Buying the Galaxy Note 7 new

If you buy a brand new Note 7 from a reputable retailer after it goes on sale again, you'll almost certainly have a safe unit unaffected by the original battery problem. To double-check, look for the black square and "S" mark on your box, and check the IMEI on Samsung's website.

What about buying second-hand?

If you're buying a used Note 7, then the first point to check, again, is the sticker on the box. Since second-hand used phones may not have a box or the box could potentially be from a different phone, it's best to check the IMEI of the phone directly with Samsung. If you're at all unsure about whether or not the phone is authentic and new, don't buy the phone.