Samsung has announced that it will start offering free battery replacements to Galaxy S4 owners in Germany who have experienced issues with the handset's battery.

The company has packed a great deal of high-end tech into its new Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone and the handset is considered one of the best smartphones currently available on the market. Some issues are still present, however, and Samsung is trying to patch things up.

Various reports of battery issues started to plague the Samsung Galaxy S4 experience, with the problems seemingly affecting German users in particular. According to a report from German site MobiFlip, as much as 30 percent of Galaxy S4 owners in the country experienced battery issues with their handset. Samsung has now announced that it will replace faulty batteries for free.

Based on complaints, the battery issues go from fast-draining power to the battery unit actually swelling up and pushing against the case of the handset to open it.

"We are aware of this issue, which has affected a limited number of customers," Samsung acknowledged in a statement to TrustedReviews. "We ask all affected customers to please visit their nearest Samsung Electronics service centre, where they can receive a replacement battery free of charge. We remain committed to providing the best possible user experience for our customers."

So far, it seems that the faulty batteries affect only Galaxy S4 handsets purchased in Germany, which may suggest that just a single batch of battery units might have been defective.

Nevertheless, if the battery your Samsung Galaxy S4 is causing issues, draining too fast or starting to bulge, the company recommends seeking out the nearest Samsung Electronics service center as soon as possible. A replacement battery should be provided free of charge.

It remains unclear at this point whether these battery issues are affecting Samsung Galaxy S4 owners in other countries as well. While the problems seem to affect only handsets purchased in Germany for now, it is not certain that the issues are indeed limited to that country. If you have experienced battery issues with a Galaxy S4 purchased outside of Germany, let us know in the comments below.