The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has warned travelers against turning on, charging, or stowing the Note 7, the first time the agency has singled out a specific brand and product.
Advertisement
The company is expediting the exchange process so people can get replacements as soon as possible.
In a statement posted on its website, the South Korean technology giant advised local users to visit the company’s service centers to receive rental phones for temporary use.
The restriction of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 onboard all aircraft comes after numerous reports of the devices’ battery exploding.
The mammoth recall of close to 2.5 million devices and their subsequent replacement with brand new models according to analysts could cost Samsung almost $5bn.
The FAA warned that fires caused by lithium batteries found on many cellphones can be very hard to extinguish on board an aircraft, advising that these devices remain powered off and not connected to any power source while in the sky.
The US government action heralds more fallout for the South Korean manufacturer, which may take a financial hit from the recall and lose customers who are concerned about the quality of its flagship phones.
On Friday, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an official statement urging people not to use the Note 7.
Some analysts say the recall could cost Samsung almost $5 billion in revenue, after accounting for expenses from the recall process.
A 6-year-old Brooklyn boy suffered burns when one of Samsung’s recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones exploded in his hands – and his grandmother says he’s too scared to go near any other devices.
Advertisement
The company made an unprecedented global recall of the phablet last month after it emerged there had been 35 confirmed cases of batteries catching fires during charging, only weeks after launch.
