Samsung Announced an Unprecedented Recall of Galaxy Note 7s Worldwide

Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7 on Aug. 19. The Galaxy Note series is one of the most expensive lineups made by Samsung.

The second quarter of 2016 is a period that Samsung cant put behind it soon enough. The company was in great spirits going into August， and why wouldnt it be？ Samsung was about to launch the Galaxy Note 7， the sleekest and most impressive phablet the world had ever seen. The launch went well， the Galaxy Note 7 reviews were outstanding， but then things took a turn for the worse： A battery defect caused some Note 7 handsets to explode while charging.

Samsung said it had confirmed 35 cases of the Galaxy Note 7 catching fire as of Sept. 1， most of them occurring while the battery was being charged.

The South Korean tech giant was forced to recall some 2.5 million devices globally due to overheating batteries. Dozens of devices were reported to have caught fire.

The recall comes at a crucial time for Samsung as rival Apple has just released its new iPhone 7.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall is official， with Samsung making clear that all models of the Galaxy Note 7 should not be used from this point forward. Users that own the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 should take care not to charge their devices nor， if possible， even use the devices at all until replacements can be distributed.

What Happened？

On the 31st of August 2016， Samsung confirmed that they were delaying shipments of the Galaxy Note 7. They suggested that shipments had been delayed for "quality control testing，" and that - at that time -shipments to the top three mobile carriers in South Korea had been stopped. Not long after that， Samsung issued a statement to the world - as follows：

The issue is with the battery， not necessarily with the Note itself. Regardless， users - ALL USERS -should take caution in handling the Galaxy Note 7 until replacement units can be administered.

In a statement posted on its website， Samsung asked users around the world to "immediately" return their existing Galaxy Note 7 and get a replacement. "We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them as soon as possible，" Koh Dong-jin， Samsungs mobile president， said in the statement. "We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be provided through the exchange program as conveniently as possible."

Consumers can visit Samsungs service centers to receive rental phones for temporary use. Samsung plans to provide Galaxy Note 7 devices with new batteries in South Korea starting Sept. 19， but schedules for other countries vary.endprint

How many Note 7 units are defective？ None， technically. Again- its the battery thats screwy. But because the battery is not easily removed by every user， the entire device must be recalled instead.

Airlines Banning the Note 7 on Flights

The call from the South Korean company， the worlds largest smartphone maker， comes after US authorities urged consumers to switch the Galaxy Note 7 off and not to use or charge it during a flight. Several airlines around the world asked travelers not switch on the jumbo smartphone or put it in checked baggage， with some airlines banning the phone on flights.

Scandinavian Airlines said it has prohibited passengers from using the Galaxy Note 7 on its flights because of concerns about fires. Singapore Airlines has also banned the use or charging of the device during flights.

Previously， cabin crew on an Indian passenger aircraft used a fire extinguisher to tackle a smoking older Samsung handset. The Galaxy Note 2 - a model launched in 2012 -was smouldering and spitting sparks， according to a statement from airline IndiGo.

In the US， the Federal Aviation Administration has told airline passengers not to bring the phones on planes unless they keep them turned off and dont charge them during the flight.

A number of airlines around the globe have also banned the phone from being used or charged on their planes.

Over 1 Million Safe Note 7 Handsets Still Have Problems

In an update posted to its China market website， Samsung said that more than 1 million people around the world are now using “safe” Galaxy Note 7 handsets with batteries that are not in danger of exploding. That figure includes all Note 7 smartphones that were issued as replacements for affected phones， as well as units that were initially sold in China， since they were not equipped with batteries from the plant that produced the problematic power cells.

“Currently， the brand new Note 7 products that have been swapped in overseas markets are using identical batteries to those that were supplied and used for the Chinese version，”Samsung said.

Over 1 million safe Note 7 handsets is a big milestone， but Samsung isnt quite out of the woods just yet. Aside from the hundreds of thousands of potentially dangerous devices that Samsung has yet to swap，there are new reports emerging that some “safe” Note 7 units still have problems with overheating batteries. Whats more， Samsung is also investigating a growing number of reports that some of its washing machines have exploded while in use.endprint

Delay the Selling of Galaxy Note 7 Phone

Samsung is claiming that “about half” of the Galaxy Note 7 devices that could potentially explode have been exchanged for new phones. Samsung also says that “90 percent”of those who have exchanged their phone decided to get another Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung has said it will delay restarting the sale of its Galaxy Note 7 phone in South Korea， as the firm needs more time for the global recall of the device.

On 2 September Samsung had said it would stop selling the phones and offered to replace the ones already sold. The firm also urged people to stop using the device.

The global recall affects 10 markets. In South Korea， some 200，000 customers have already returned their devices with the same number of people still left for the recall， according to Samsung.

Chinas Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will recall all 190，984 Galaxy Note 7 phones that it has sold in the mainland.

Samsungs Operating Profit Rises Despite Note 7 Recall

Samsung Electronics saw its operating profit rise in the third quarter despite a global recall of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones， the company said.

The South Korean tech behemoth posted 7.8 trillion won （7 billion U.S. dollars） in its preliminary figure for operating profit during the JulySeptember period， up 5.55 percent from the same period last year.

It was down 4.18 percent from 8.14 trillion won tallied in the previous quarter， which was the largest in more than two years.

The third-quarter profit beat market expectations of about 7.4 trillion won thanks to brisk sales of semiconductors and display panels， analysts said.

The better-than-expected earnings result came despite the companys decision in early September to recall all of about 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones shipped across the globe.endprint