It seems things just got a whole lot easier for the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus. Its biggest rival, Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7, has officially been recalled worldwide due to a worrying battery issue that has caused some handsets to explode.
Until just a few days ago, the Galaxy Note 7’s launch couldn’t have been more successful. The device was greeted by a torrent of rave reviews from the tech press when it first went on sale, and demand has far exceeded supply in most markets.
But things took a turn for the worse when it was discovered that some Galaxy Note 7 handsets were randomly exploding while on charge. Samsung has now confirmed that there is an issue affecting a small number of devices.
The South Korean company says that just 24 in every 1 million units is at risk of exploding, but it is now recalling every single Galaxy Note 7 sold so far to ensure that no further damage can be done.
Samsung has promised that more information regarding the recall will be distributed to each market individually. Here is the company’s full statement:
Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. 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.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.
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.
The recall couldn’t have come at a more crucial time, with Apple scheduled to announce the iPhone 7 Plus — the Galaxy Note 7’s biggest rival for the next 12 months — at a keynote on Wednesday, September 7.
This will surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of many Samsung fans who will now have to return their new smartphone and wait for a new one, and it’s likely at least some of them will look elsewhere just as the iPhone 7 series is landing.
Poor Samsung.
Via: Android Authority
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
13 responses to “Samsung confirms worldwide Galaxy Note 7 recall”
Samsung galaxy note 7, so hot right now
The Big BANG Theory has been proven to be true for this galaxy! lmao
Been calling them junk happy meal toys for years. True
Keep sippin’ that Apple kool-aid it’ll start working any minute. Supreme leader Jobs would be proud.
So you’ve been calling the Note7 junk for years? That makes sense. Oh, wait, ic. I think you meant you’ve been calling every phone that you don’t own junk for years.
The world is big enough for more than one kind of phone.
Wow calm down little guy. It’s just a phone. And a shitty one at that. Relax
I call phones that burst into flames junk. Yes I did. I guess I must be wrong. Or your an idiot. Yeah that’s it
Then my last two iPhones were a piece of junk as well.
Lies. Who would buy the same phone after one caught fire. Your a complete idiot if you did and deserve Galaxy phones
I worked in an apple-related media and I HAD to have an iPhone.
Samsung is doing the right thing, even though they will lose a ton of revenue. So why will people go and get iPhones instead? I wouldn’t. The Note 7 is an absolutely gorgeous phone, hands down.
Yeah, if you can overlook the melted glass screen, then the Note 7 is a nice looking device.
I highly doubt loyal Samsung users will flock to the iPhone7. Trust me. I have the iPhone 6s plus and the Note7. The iPhone 6s plus screen broke from just 2″ off the ground. I’ve dropped my Note7 a few times from about 15″ and not 1 scratch! I perfer my Note7 over an iPhone any day! The Note7 display?…well, I’m blown away. My iPhone 6s plus does not even compare nor will the iPhone7. I love the s-pen as well something Apple misses out on the iPhone series.
Uh, this is *not* an official recall. This is a voluntary replacement program. A recall is a whole different beast, and one which Samsung should be doing.
Leaving the choice to the consumers is negligence. This inaction on Samsung’s part is dangerous. Not doing a recall could put Samsung into an even more precarious situation legally.