Samsung Electronics Africa announced that it will be providing Pan African customers with a 24-month Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) warranty to cover screen and liquid damages to the GALAXY S4 at no extra charge. The company, Vice President and COO for Africa, George Ferreira announced this welcoming innovative offer at the Africa grand launch of Galaxy S4 in Johannesburg, South Africa. “This is world first from a device manufacturer level,” Ferreira said, adding “this warranty is yet another way Samsung is showing its commitment to customer service by introducing it as standard on the GALAXY S4 and will be extended to other Samsung devices in the months to come.” The ADH on Galaxy S4 is welcoming news, particularly for those who had issues with the screen of Galaxy S3, and users cannot wait for it to be extended to S3 and other Samsung handsets, as Ferreira promised. Ferreira noted that the ADH will be incorporated into the existing 24-month standard factory warranty on the GALAXY S4, which means, after purchasing the device, customers will need to register it through the Samsung e-Warranty service at www.samsung.com before they can quality for ADH. “In the event of damage, the customer can take the device to an authorized Samsung Service Centre and the centre will replace the screen or board free of charge with no questions asked,” he told Ghanaian journalists at the event. He said the ADH warranty will cover only screen and liquid damages, adding that customers will be limited to two incidents per 24-month period, and that can be two screen damages, two liquid damages, or one incident of each. Ferreira said Samsung is excited about the ADH warranty because it provides customers across Africa with access to the very best service level agreements. “Samsung understands the unique needs of its customers and this is another value-added service the company is introducing to provide them with comprehensive service assistance in the event of accidental handling damage to their devices,” he said. Countries where Samsung ADH is currently available include Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Mauritius, Uganda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Botswana, Angola and Cote d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, in Ghana, Head of Handheld Devices for Samsung West Africa, Jaspreet Singh told journalists the Samsung Galaxy S4 handset will cost GHC1,600 and company has devised a one year payment plan for salaried workers who cannot afford upfront purchase. He said Samsung has made arrangement with Standard Chartered Bank and other banks to advance interest-free loans to such persons to buy the phone and the repayment installments would be deducted directly from source without any extra cost to the buyer. Singh said prior to the former launch of Galaxy S4 in Ghana, some 2,000 copies have already been pre-ordered in Ghana, adding that it was a sign that the handset would make waves on the Ghanaian market like it predecessor, S3 did.