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Samsung received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the
United States, including 26 reports of burns and 55 cases of
property damage, the company said as it announced the recall in
cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The recall is a costly setback for Samsung, which was counting
on Galaxy Note 7 to bolster sales as rivals such as Apple Inc <AAPL.O>
launch new devices. The scale of the recall is unprecedented for
Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker.
Samsung said on Thursday that new Note 7 replacement devices
will be available at most retail locations in the United States
no later than Sept. 21.
Earlier this month, Samsung said it would recall all Note 7
smartphones equipped with batteries it found to be fire-prone
and halted their sales in 10 markets, denting a revival of the
firm's mobile business.
While recalls in the smartphone industry do happen, including
for rival Apple Inc <AAPL.O>, the nature of the problem for the
Note 7 is a serious blow to Samsung's reputation, analysts have
said.
The CPSC said on Thursday that consumers should immediately
power down and stop using the recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has asked airline
passengers to switch off and unplug the recalled Note 7s during
flights.
Some 2.5 million of the premium devices worldwide need to be
recalled, Samsung said. Some analysts say the recall could cost
Samsung nearly $5 billion in lost revenue this year.
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