Smartphone batteries have been shown to explode or burn while charging, prompting recall of 2.5 million units..
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says owners of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones should turn them off and stop using them because of the risk that their batteries can explode.
US aviation safety officials took the extraordinary step late Thursday of warning airline passengers not to turn on or charge a new-model Samsung smartphone during flights following numerous reports of the devices catching fire.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Friday it will expedite new shipments of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones starting this week in response to a U.S. regulator’s advisory to not charge or turn on the phone in flight due to faulty batteries.
“We continue to review the FAA’s guidance and raise awareness with our employees and passengers about these devices”, said United Continental Holdings Inc spokesman Luke Punzenberger.
Australia’s Qantas and Virgin Australia and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad have also announced similar bans.
The warning comes a week after Samsung announced a voluntary recall of 2.5 million phones worldwide because of a battery problem believed to affect 0.1% of all devices.
Last week, Samsung ordered a global recall of the jumbo phones after its investigation of explosion reports found the rechargeable lithium batteries were at fault. The Note series is one of the most expensive lineups released by Samsung, and the devices usually inherit designs and features of the Galaxy S phones that debut in the spring.
The agency said Friday that it’s working with Samsung on an official recall of the phones “as soon as possible” and that it’s trying to figure out if the company’s replacement Note 7s are an “acceptable remedy”.
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Mobile business accounts for a major share of profits at Samsung, which is the world’s largest smartphone maker but also produces home appliances and memory chips.
