After an internal investigation following consumer cases, Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh has revealed that the company has halted sales and will conduct a global recall of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7.
The investigation revealed that the company identified about 35 cases where the smartphone developed issues while charging. This comes after earlier reports suggested that there had been several incidents of battery and charging-related issues, and a majority of them had been in Samsung’s home market in South Korea.
That said, more incidents began cropping up around the world, prompting Samsung to act quickly.
Samsung states that the issue affects a relatively small portion of the global supply – only 24 units per every million devices are at risk of fire. This follows initial estimates from the investigation that the issue only affects “0.1 percent” of the total devices sold so far. However, Samsung is announcing a global recall to ensure every measure is taken to protect the consumer.
The recall would be made across all markets where sales of the Galaxy Note 7 has begun. This includes Malaysia, where 8,000 units of the device were shipped as part of a pre-order campaign.
The global statement can be read below:
Statement on Galaxy Note7
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.
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For Malaysia, Samsung will replace all units with a new one over the coming weeks. Those who own the Note 7 should contact Samsung Malaysia Careline for additional steps before the replacement.
Here’s the full statement:
SAMSUNG MALAYSIA ELECTRONICS (SME) OFFICIAL MEDIA 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. Customers may contact Samsung Malaysia Careline at 1-800-88-7799 for further enquiries of their current Galaxy Note 7 device before replacement takes place.
We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsungcontinues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We will work to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.”
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