Samsung issued a recall of all Galaxy Note 7 devices following 35 reports indicating that the batteries inside the Note 7 heat up and cause the smartphone to catch fire.
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It comes after United States authorities warned airline passengers against switching on or charging the phones on flights after reports of the devices exploding, though none were on planes. In a travel alert issued on Saturday, Qatar Airways said, “Following the recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 personal electronic device, passengers that own these devices are requested to keep them switched off and unplugged during flight”.
And airline passengers were warned by U.S. authorities not to switch on or charge the phones while on board.
Several airlines have asked travelers not to use or charge the smartphones while flying or put them in checked baggage. Samsung Electronics said it was working with the agency and asked customers to immediately turn in their Note 7 phones.
The phone was launched last month and has been otherwise generally well-received by consumers and critics. The South Korean company said that rechargeable lithium batteries manufactured by one of its suppliers were faulty.
If owners don’t return the defective device, Samsung may be taking things into its own hands in the coming weeks as the company may be remotely deactivating devices that are not returned after September 30th.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also issued the same warning following reports of fires and explosions while charging or normal use of Samsung Galaxy Note7.
Three airlines in Australia have already banned passengers from using the smartphone after Samsung recalled the product last week.
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Since then, at least two more cases have been reported, including at hotel in Perth, prompting the company to call for an “immediate” end to all use by customers. ClassAction.com reached out to Samsung to confirm that the battery inside Galaxy S7 edge units is made by the same manufacturer.
