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Samsung halts production of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, informs users not to turn devices on

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Well, Apple’s faulty batteries never caused a company to tell its users to discontinue use of their product outright.

Electronics maker Samsung issued an alert to customers on Monday asking them to turn off their Galaxy Note 7 smartphone units. The units have been spontaneously catching fire. As such, the company halted production of the devices over the weekend.

In a corporate statement, Samsung said it will also “ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7” while it investigates the cause of the fires.
It also said, “Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device.”


Samsung released the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 7 in August as a direct competitor to the iPhone 7. Almost immediately after launch, customers began complaining of some of the units catching fire. The company explained that faulty lithium-ion batteries were overheating the device and causing it to ignite. In early September, Samsung recalled 2.5 million devices worldwide.

Samsung offered replacement phones that also turned out to be faulty and lead to fires as well.

In the past week, an American user reported his replacement phone caught fire, even though it wasn’t plugged in. Last Wednesday, smoke started billowing from a replacement Galaxy Note 7 aboard a Southwest Airline plane before it departed, prompting the flight’s cancellation.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to air travelers last month, asking them to keep their Galaxy Note 7 phones turned off, not to charge them and “not to stow them in any checked baggage.” It updated its warning on Monday, saying it applies to the replacement devices, too.
Samsung said that customers who shut down their phones can “take advantage of the remedies available.” According to U.S. federal regulators, consumers are entitled to “a full refund.”

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via CNN Money