14 DAY TRIAL // UPDATE: Samsung stopped sales of Galaxy Note 7 units and the recall is said to start September 19 in 10 countries, including South Korea and the US. Samsung announced that 35 cases of faulty batteries have been reported worldwide and Galaxy Note 7 units will be voluntarily replaced.
It seems that all rumors have been confirmed, as Samsung has just announced a global recall of Galaxy Note 7 units. The official announcement has been made today, during a press briefing currently held in Seoul, South Korea.
Korean tech giant Samsung has announced a plan to recall all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold globally and exchange them with new ones, regardless of battery functions, Korea Herald reports.
This measure will have a major impact on both for the company and consumers, considering that Samsung has already sold 1 million units globally. The company has also informed us that 24 smartphones were found with faulty batteries, but apparently, it hasn't offered details on how many handsets were part of its investigation.
The investigation started after many Galaxy Note 7 users reported that their units simply caught fire or actually exploded while charging. More specifically, about five Galaxy Note 7 units caught fire while charging. Initially, some thought that maybe third-party chargers were used, but the smartphone owners claimed they were using only original Samsung chargers.
Shipments of Galaxy Note 7 have already been halted
The recall confirms that batteries in Galaxy Note 7 units could be at fault, and the fact that a global recall is necessary also means that this issue isn't limited to a certain batch of units. Galaxy Note 7 units are equipped with batteries manufactured by Samsung's very own Samsung SDI division, which stated a few days ago that it didn't have any indication that the batteries could be at fault.
Now, Samsung has acknowledged that a problem does exist and that it has taken measures to reduce the impact of such incidents and, most importantly, avoid their recurrence.
The recall will surely have an impact on Samsung's credibility and image as a smartphone manufacturer, but analysts have stated that it will also show that the company is interested in consumer safety above all.
Shipments of Galaxy Note 7 units have already been halted in multiple countries around the world, exactly one month after Samsung unveiled the device.