Those owning the new Galaxy Note 7, even a replacement device, are asked to turn the device off at once.
The message comes from the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) of the US and also from Samsung itself.
Switch Off the Note 7
In a statement made on Monday, Samsung has asked all consumers using the original Note 7 or the replacement device to power down their devices and make use of remedies that have been made available to them. All carriers as well as retailing partners for the device have been asked to stop the sales or the exchange of the Note 7, by the company.
Warning Issued
The warning has also been echoed by the CPSC, which is continuing its investigation into the reports of the device overheating or even burning in several states. It has asked all consumers of the device to stop using the phone. They have also stated that Samsung has made the right move in suspending sales or exchanges of the Note 7.
Another Setback
This is the latest and most serious setback for the company. The Note 7 was released in the middle of August this year. It was an attempt by the company to take on its rival Apple and offered customers an advanced smartphone and a premium phone. The Note 7 comes with a 5.7 inches screen and at a cost of around $850. There were rave reviews about it when it was released and it came several weeks before Apple’s iPhone 7 or the Pixel phone from Google.
Exchange Offered
However, Samsung was force to recall more than 2.5 million of these devices, in fact all the sets that it had sold outside of China. This was after the reports of more than hundred devices having caught fire. Samsung offered to replace the affected phones and they did this by including a new battery. More than 50% of the users turned in their old devices and about 90% of them accepted the new Note 7.
Latest Outbreak
However, the replacement phones also seemed to have the same problem and there were reports of fire caused by these phones as well. This spells doom for the Note 7. Samsung has not offered any statement regarding the cause of the fire or why the devices are getting so hot. However, the company, along with the US regulators seems to be encouraging consumers to stop using their devices. More than 5 replacement phones have exploded during the weekend.
Production Stopped
It has been reported that Samsung has stopped the production of the phone after the recent outbreak and has issued the warning. The company in its statement said that it was working with the regulatory authorities and was attempting to take all the necessary steps for resolving the problem. However, it also added that the consumer safety was at the top of its priority.
As for Monday, this week, all the major carriers in the US are pulling out the Note 7 from the lineup.
Grant Hamersma knows the world of tech inside and out, covering smartphones, gadgets and applications. One of our in-house writers and top contributors on the site, you can read all 3,700+ of his posts here.