Samsung announced last week that there will be a massive recall for their new Galaxy 7 Note smartphones. This comes just two weeks after the flagship phone launched. There is a problem with the battery in certain phones which can lead to the device catching fire or exploding during the charging process.
The decision follows reports in the US and South Korea of the phone “exploding” during or after charging. Samsung said it had received 35 separate reports worldwide tied to what it described only as a “battery cell issue.” Recently, a report out of Australia claimed that a Note 7 exploded while charging in a hotel room, causing over $1,400 worth of damage.
The Sou
th Korean company said customers who had already bought the phone would be able to swap it for a new one.”There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out,” the president of Samsung’s mobile business Koh Dong-jin told reporters. According to Samsung:
“To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.”
Samsung said most Note 7 phones should not be affected by the issue — it’s believed 0.1% of all devices sold are at risk. The company added that 2.5 million Note 7 devices have sold since launch.
The devices are being pulled from 10 countries, including South Korea and the United States. Samsung said China is not affected by the issue because it used another battery supplier. It’s unclear if models sold in China would consequently be recalled.
Samsung plans to offer Note 7 customers a new smartphone — the Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S7 Edge — for free to replace the faulty product, starting next week in the U.S. The company said the full recall process will take about two weeks to complete, and the timeline will vary by country.
It will also refund the cost of Note 7-specific accessories and give Note 7 users a $25 gift card or bill credit for the inconvenience.
Consumers are urged to stop using the phones immediately and contact Samsung for information on obtaining a replacement.
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