Samsung Note 7 Battery Warning

Samsung Electronics has recalled its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over explosive batteries.

20:12 05 September 2016

Samsung Electronics have officially recalled its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone following reports in South Korea and the USA of the phone exploding during or after charging.

 

Samsung, which said that customers who have already bought the phone could swap it with a new one, found it difficult to accurately identify which of the 2.5 million units sold were affected because they used different battery suppliers.

 

Koh Dong-jin, the president of Samsung's mobile business, said: "There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out,'' 

 

"It will cost us so much it makes my heart ache. Nevertheless, the reason we made this decision is because what is most important is customer safety," he said.

 

The recall comes just one week before Apple presents its new iPhone model.

 

According to reports, there are only about 35 confirmed cases of Galaxy Note 7 smartphone catching fire while or after charging. One of them is a YouTube user who uploaded a video showing the smartphone with burnt rubber casing and damaged screen. He said that the handset “caught fire” after charging it with the official Samsung charger, less than a fortnight after purchasing it.