Samsung is recalling about one million of the phones because a battery flaw can lead to overheating, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday in a statement.
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Under the remedy announced on the CPSC website, customers will receive refunds for Note7 phones sold before Thursday or replacement without charge with a new Note7 with a different battery, which Samsung Electronics said would be available not later than September 21.
The agency is urging consumers who own one of these phones to exchange or return the device because of the risk of fire. The lithium-ion battery can overheat and catch fire. Fortunately, most United States retail locations should be able to offer consumers replacement Note 7 phones beginning 21 September.
Samsung said the company will change the color of the battery indicators in newer Galaxy Note 7 handsets to help consumers differentiate older faulty units from newer, safer hardware.
Federal regulators say 97 percent of the galaxy note sevens in the USA have the faulty battery.
An employee helps customers purchase a Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7 at its store in Seoul, Sept. 2, 2016.
Before, Samsung was offering replacements only.
He explains the current situation starting from when Samsung issued a global directive to stop sales up immediately to where the company has already received and exchanged over 130,000 Galaxy Note 7s.
Earlier this week a Samsung executive claimed the cause for the phones’ catching on fire is due to a battery defect. The recall extends to devices with a 5.7-inch screen in the colors black onyx, blue coral, gold platinum and silver titanium, the announcement said.
“To our Note 7 owners, if you have not yet replaced your original Note 7, please, please power it down and return it”. However, some analysts say the recall could cost Samsung almost $5 billion in lost revenue this year.
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Consumers who bought the phone through a wireless carrier or retailer such as Best Buy should contact the merchant directly.
