Samsung Electronics Co yesterday urged South Korean consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, following a similar warning by the US consumer agency and several airlines who fear battery explosions.
The South Korean electronics giant last week suspended sales of its latest flagship smartphone and announced a recall of 2.5 million units already sold worldwide, after faulty batteries caused some handsets to explode during charging.
Since then, airlines or air safety agencies around the world, including Taiwan, the US and Singapore, have warned passengers against using them on flights.
“We advise South Korean consumers using the Galaxy Note 7 to stop using the device and to visit nearest service centers to take necessary steps,” Samsung said.
It advised consumers to use replacement smartphones, which would be temporarily loaned by the firm until a new Galaxy Note 7 equipped with fault-free batteries is provided.
Since the global launch of the oversized “phablet” smartphone last month, several users have posted images on social media showing the charred device, saying it suddenly caught fire.
Samsung last week admitted the problem was caused by a faulty battery cell and announced the recall — the first large-scale recall of one of Samsung’s top-of-the-range smartphones.
Some analysts say the recall could cost Samsung about US$5 billion in revenue, after accounting for expenses from the recall process.
The incident also forced the firm to postpone the device’s planned launch in Europe this month.
Samsung shares closed down 3.9 percent on Friday.
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