If you have a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone, even one of the supposedly safe replacements, you should power it down.
That’s the message Monday from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and from Samsungitself.
“Consumers with an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase,” reads a statement from a Samsung representative.
The CPSC issued a similar warning. “While we continue our active investigation into reports of phones overheating and burning in multiple states, consumers should power down and stop using all Galaxy Note 7s,” reads a statement from CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye. “This is the safest course of action.”
We don’t know why Samsung’s replacement phones might be catching fire, or how many might be affected, but both Samsung and the US regulator are urging consumers not to take any chances with the new devices. As many as five replacement Note 7s have allegedly exploded, most of them over the weekend.
This is just the latest in a nightmare scenario for Samsung. The Note 7, which arrived in mid-August, was Samsung’s chance to shine with the most advanced phone on the market. It launched to rave reviews, weeks ahead of Apple’s rival iPhone 7 and Google’s Pixel phone announcement. But Samsung wound up recalling every single handset sold (outside China) after nearly a hundred reports of the devices catching fire.
Owners were encouraged to exchange their phones for new Note 7 devices, which Samsung promised would include a brand-new battery. According to the company, over half of owners complied, with 90 percent of owners trading in an old phone for a new Note 7 device.
But now that the replacement devices are also reportedly catching fire, it could be both the end of the Note 7 and a huge blow to Samsung’s reputation. Samsung’s customers might rush into the arms of the competition.
“First, the lingering around the official recall, then the incidents with replacement devices that were supposed to have the battery issue rectified will leave a bitter taste in consumers’ mouth for longer than first anticipated,” said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi.
Samsung has formally asked all carriers and retail partners around the globe to stop selling and exchanging the Galaxy Note 7 while it investigates a number of the replacement phones that have allegedly exploded. The company also says it’s temporarily stopped production of the phone — and if you look at Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall site, you’ll see that the company says its recall now applies to the replacement Note 7 devices as well.
All major US cellular carriers — including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint — had already announced they would stop selling the Note 7.
But if Samsung and partners started selling the phone again, would customers trust it enough to buy one?
