- Title: Samsung halts Galaxy Note7 sales over fire concerns, tells users to switch off
- Date: 11th October 2016
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS BUILDING MAIN ENTRANCE INTO SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS BUILDING / PEOPLE WALKING OUT OF BUILDING SIGN READING (English and Korean): "SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS"
- Embargoed: 26th October 2016 03:03
- Keywords: Samsung Galaxy Note7 fire switch off production halt
- Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA00253K85ZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PLEASE REFER TO 1115 SAMSUNG-ELEC-SMARTPHONES/PRODUCTION-STOCKS SENT ON OCTOBER 10 FOR FILE MATERIAL
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd told customers on Tuesday (October 11) to stop using their Galaxy Note7 smartphones while it investigates reports of fires in the devices, as the tech giant scrambled to contain a deepening recall crisis.
Top U.S. and Australian carriers on Monday (October 10) suspended sales or exchanges of the flagship Note7s, while major airlines reiterated bans on passengers using the phones, after smoke from a replacement device forced the evacuation of a passenger plane in the United States last week.
The world's top smartphone maker said it had asked all global carriers to stop sales of the Note7s and the exchange of original devices for replacements, while it worked with regulators to investigate the problem.
"Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 device should power down and stop using the device," the company said in statement.
Samsung's decision to pull Note7s off the shelves for the second time in two months underscores the South Korean firm's struggles to fix the over-heating issue.
The premium device launched in August was supposed to compete with Apple Inc's latest iPhone for supremacy in the smartphone market. Well received by critics, its first problem was a shortage as pre-orders overwhelmed supply.
But within weeks of the launch images of charred Note7s began appearing on social media, in the first sign that something was seriously amiss with the gadget.
Samsung has since recalled 2.5 million Note7s due to faulty batteries, and the latest reports of fires in replacement devices is raising fresh doubts about the firm's quality control procedures.
The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards also said consumers should stop using Note7s and said it would work with Samsung on future steps. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None