Samsung stops selling Galaxy Note 7 and issues recall after reports of spontaneous explosions
South Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung is pulling its latest handset off the shelves – due to a risk of spontaneous combustion.
The product recall was prompted by reports of phone batteries exploding.
“Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue," a Samsung spokesperson said.
"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."
The spokesperson added that for UK customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, the company will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. For more information customers need to contact the customer service team on 0330 7261000.
We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.
The Galaxy Note 7 has been launched in 10 countries so far.
The recall will come as a blow to Samsung, which has already seen $7bn (£5.3bn) knocked off its market value in the wake of the reports of phones catching fire – and could not have come at a worse time, as the group gears up to deal with new competition in the form of the latest iPhones, due to be unveiled by Apple next week.
The Note 7 was lauded as being even more advanced than the most recently available iPhones, featuring eye-scanning technology that moved a step beyond Apple's use of biometrics. The Note 7 is also waterproof to depths of five feet, has a curved screen and is compatible with a new VR headset.
"This is some major buzz-kill for Samsung, especially given all of the hard-earned excitement that products like the Note 7 have been garnering lately," IDC analyst Bryan Ma said.
"The pending Apple launch puts all the more pressure for them to contain this quickly. The timing of this couldn’t have been worse."
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