Sales on hold as the company begins the expensive task of recalling and repairing every device
Samsung is undertaking an emergency recall of its brand new Galaxy Note7 smartphone globally, following multiple reports of exploding batteries.
Altogether there have been 35 reports of customer devices catching fire, many while on charge. Samsung has stated it will repair, refund or replace all devices.
Over one million devices have apparently been sold since the smartphone’s launch two weeks ago. Sales are now on hold as the company begins the expensive task of recalling and repairing every device.
A Samsung spokesperson said in a statement on the debacle: “…In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.”
The manufacturer stated that for UK customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, “we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks”. However, nothing was said about what those customers are expected to do without a phone in the meantime.
Samsung stated: “We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.”
