Samsung and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have called for current users to power down their Note7’s and exchange them for a replacement phone. The flaw, which the company says affects a small percentage of phones, can lead to the phone overheating and catching fire, posing a serious burn hazard. To determine if your phone has been recalled, locate the IMEI number on the back of the phone or the packaging, and enter the IMEI number into the online registration site at www.samsung.com or call Samsung toll-free at 844-365-6197.
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Customers can also ask for a refund or a different device.
“Consumer safety is always our highest priority”, Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said in a statement Thursday.
Samsung had already initiated a voluntary recall, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped in to coordinate.
New replacement phones will be available at most retail locations in the U.S.no later than September 21, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in a separate statement. But, as All Tech reported, the release was marred by several dozen “reports that the phones overheated and flared up, particularly while being charged”.
Since the device went on sale, the CPSC notes almost 100 incidents in the US have been reported, including 26 reports of burns.
Passengers also must disable all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone, like an alarm clock; protect the power switch to prevent the phone from being unintentionally turned on; and keep the device in a carry-on baggage or on their person, not in a checked bag.
Replacement phones will be available in United States stores no later than September 21, Samsung announced.
The dangers of using a recalled Note 7 were rare – its battery problem affected 0.1 percent of the 2.5 million phones sold worldwide since August – but the problem has caused a headache for the world’s largest smartphone maker. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls products that have problems making emergency calls.
“That in my mind anybody who thinks that a company going out on its own is going to provide the best recall for that company, and more importantly for the consumer, needs to have more than their phone checked”, he said.
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Samsung has been criticized for its lack of guidelines and for announcing its own replacement program on September 2, rather than immediately working with the CPSC to issue an official recall. Here is how the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall compares to all of them. About 97 percent of phones sold in the USA are being recalled.
