“We have been informed of numerous cases where the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s battery explodes while charging”.
Advertisement
Samsung’s Australian arm wants consumers to power down their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones as soon as possible and return them amid a massive global recall.
Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, told reporters that a total of 35 complaints had been filed with its service centers at home and overseas for the Galaxy Note 7’s battery problem as of September 1.
While there have been only a small number of reported incidents, Samsung is taking great care to provide customers with the support they need through the Galaxy Note7 exchange programme.
“The General Civil Aviation Authority has banned operating, charging and carrying in bags the Samsung Note 7 on board national carriers’ flights”, it said.
“We will be continuing to urge customers into action over the next two to three weeks until replacement Note7 devices arrive”.
The warning on Friday was based on recent reports involving lithium-ion batteries in certain Note 7 devices that have resulted in fires..
Earlier this week, Samsung said it would be recalling all 2.5 million handsets worldwide. Samsung Canada released a statement on the recall: “Samsung holds safety and consumer satisfaction as a top priority”, Paul Brannen of Samsung Electronics Canada said. Dates to incorporate the new batteries in other countries differ.
Advertisement
Samsung will issue replacement stock of the Galaxy Note7 to customers in Australia from September 21. This is a costly setback for Samsung which had high hopes from its $892.73 model for increased sales at a time when rival Apple has launched its iPhone 7.
