Speculation is mounting that Samsung will announce a worldwide safety recall for the Galaxy Note 7 following multiple reports of exploding batteries. Sales of the smartphone have been halted and owners may soon be urged to return their devices. Here’s everything we know so far.
UPDATE: Samsung has officially confirmed a worldwide safety recall, including in Australia. Click here for more details.
If you own a shiny new Galaxy Note7, you might want to back up your data and stop using it — Samsung has halted sale of the device in multiple countries to conduct additional testing in the wake of an exploding battery scare. A product safety recall could be on the cards for Australia and the rest of the world if the fault is confirmed to be genuine.
Samsung Galaxy Note7 safety recall: the news so far
The issue first arose in the company’s home country of South Korea, where shipments of the phone were halted without explanation on Monday. Samsung eventually released a statement explaining it needed to conduct “additional quality assurance inspections” on the device.
Galaxy Note 7 catches fire while charging https://t.co/fk2mpFpYy9 pic.twitter.com/lfr6GC4xSQ
— TechnoBuffalo (@TechnoBuffalo) August 25, 2016
By then, multiple reports and photos had surfaced online exposing an apparent battery fault which may cause the phone to explode or catch on fire while charging. Shipments to telcos in Australia and abroad have since been halted and a worldwide safety recall could be imminent.
What’s causing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 batteries to explode?
It has been speculated that third-party charging cables for the Note7’s new USB-C connector could be to blame, which would make the fault similar to the /”exploding hoverboard” fiasco from last year. Currently, Samsung has not confirmed the cause of the fault, of even if it exists at all. We’ll be updating this article as soon as we have more information.
Which countries are affected by the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 safety recall?
Initially it seemed only some markets would be affected by the recall, but the freezing of shipments has since gained momentum. Countries where sales of the phone have been delayed or halted include South Korea, the US, the UK and Australia.
[Update: it’s been confirmed that JB Hi-Fi has pulled the Note7 from shelves locally. Dick Smith has removed the single-SIM version from sale but is reportedly still selling the dual-SIM model. More here.]
For what it’s worth, the government-run Product Safety Australia website has not yet been updated with the phone but this could soon change depending on the nature of Samsung’s announcement.
Are all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 models affected?
Again, we won’t know the facts until Samsung makes an announcement, but an inside source who spoke to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency indicted the battery issue affects “less than 0.1 percent” of devices sold.
What do I do with my Samsung Galaxy Note 7?
For now, we’d recommend not charging it until more information becomes available. It would also be a good idea to back up your photos and make sure your contacts are in the cloud.
Can I get a refund on my Samsung Galaxy Note 7?
Under Australian Consumer Law, any product with a major fault must be replaced, refunded or repaired. It’s likely Samsung will urge customers to go with the latter, although you might be able to get a full refund if you complain loud enough.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Note7 safety recall begin?
There are conflicting reports of when — or even if — there’ll be a voluntary recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Our sister site Gizmodo reckons there could be an announcement as early as 11am today, while the Yonhap News Agency has suggested the results of the safety investigation might not be released until early next week. Naturally, we’ll let you know as soon as Samsung makes its announcement.
Keep refreshing this page for more news as it happens.
Comments
4 responses to “Exploding Samsung Galaxy Note7 Safety Recall: What We Know So Far [Updated]”
What about just holding the phone while it charges?
If it feels warm, pull out the charging cable.
Safer – insurance wise – to stop using it when the recall is issued and request a refund.
What if it’s under a plan?
take it back to your carrier
Even if it’s a bad cable the battery’s controller should be able to handle such faults. Bad design rather than bad cable.
my samsung note 7 is fine i charge it every 2nd day or 3rd day if i play game on it i might charge it for abit like less than 1hrs. i have no problem with it yet.
I have the note 7 and it charges just fine, its going to be hard to let it go.. now that I’m loving this device already. Well if the recall is now official, I’m wondering if Harvey Norman will ever refund the price of the phone plus the product care that I’ve paid for..