Samsung is now urging customers to abandon their Galaxy Note 7 handsets entirely.
The South Korean technology giant has released a statement telling Note 7 owners to turn off and avoid using their phones, in response to a series of reports from users claiming their replaced handsets were catching fire.
Samsung issued a global recall for the Note 7 on September 2 after an internal investigation uncovered a serious battery flaw that was causing some users’ handsets to spontaneously catch fire. Despite replacing a large number of phones, it appears that an issue still remains, as users with replaced handsets have been providing evidence of random combustion.
Here’s Samsung’s new statement:
“Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place.”
It continued: “Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available.”
Despite initial haste in issuing the global recall, Samsung has been slow to warn users against using the Galaxy Note 7 following the latest bout of post-recall explosions.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was announced on August 2, and features a 5.7-inch QHD display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a large 3,500mAh battery. We have the phone a 4.5/5-star score when we reviewed it back in August, praising its impressive screen, market-leading camera, water-resistant design, and excellent battery life.
At the time, we gave the phone a ‘Recommended’ tag, but we now advise all Note 7 owners to follow Samsung’s advice and stop using your devices.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S8
Watch: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review (pre-recall)
What do you think of the ongoing Note 7 battery debacle? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.