Samsung has reportedly delayed additional shipments of its new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after reports that some devices have exploded during charging.
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Electronics retailer Samsung has announced its newly-launched Galaxy Note 7 will be recalled and replaced after reports several of the phones exploded.
On the Note 7, after complaints surfaced online, Samsung found that a battery cell made by one of its two battery suppliers caused the phone to catch fire. Consumer Reports found that the phone didn’t live up to its water-resistance promises.
Samsung told CNN that it believed that problematic batteries were to blame, but its sister company Samsung SDI, which manufactures and supplies batteries for the Note 7, told Reuters that it received no information to suggest the batteries were faulty.
The move comes after users on social media reported that the large-screened smartphone caught fire during charging. Sales of the phone across the world have been put on halt while the brand tries to clear up the mess. The website was assessed by a Samsung worker and he’s now in discussions over the settlement with Samsung.
Faults with the new premium flagship device could deal a major blow to the South Korean giant, which was counting on the Galaxy Note 7 to maintain its strong mobile earnings momentum against Apple’s new iPhones expected to be unveiled next week.
Thirty five cases of the battery being damaged were reported globally in the period between the launch and September 1, Samsung said, which equals a defect rate of 24 in every one million units. “We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible”, the company said.
Samsung’s new Note 7 is in trouble.
Neither statement said whether the handsets are safe to use in the meantime. Investors in Apple worry that Galaxy Note 7 has been so successful that they may have sucked demand for the iPhone 7 out of the market.
According to a statement given out by Samsung, its investigation into the incidents has revealed that the problem lies in the battery cell.
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United Kingdom retailers are now posting that the phone is “out of stock”.
