SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Samsung Electronics is telling consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones immediately and exchange them as soon as possible. Several airlines around the world asked travelers not switch on the jumbo smartphone or put it in checked baggage, with some carriers banning the phone on flights.
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The FAA also advised passengers not to stow Galaxy Note 7 devices in checked baggage, evidently to avoid the risk of fires in cargo holds of aircraft. “We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be provided through the exchange program as conveniently as possible”.
The technology giant warned it had stopped sales of the model and asked customers to use another phone while they exchange it for another one.
Earlier this month, Samsung recalled 2.5 million phones that had been sold after it found a “battery cell issue”.
United States and Japanese aviation authorities have urged passengers not to turn on or charge the large-screen phones on aircraft. “Passengers have also been advised not to stow them in their checked-in baggage”, the ministry said, a day after U.S. regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a similar warning. A Reuters’ dispatch on Saturday said top airlines globally had banned their use during flights, which included carriers from the GCC region.
“We advise South Korean consumers using the Galaxy Note 7 to stop using the device and to visit nearest service centres to take necessary steps”, Samsung said on its website.
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Maswings followed other major airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Airlines and Etihad Airways after certain units of the smartphone batteries were reported to explode, prompting Samsung to suspend the sales of the smartphone. The Galaxy Note series is one of the most expensive lineups made by Samsung.
