U.S. Gov: Turn Off Your Galaxy Note 7, Exchange For Non-Exploding Units

It has just been a few weeks since Samsung Galaxy Note 7 released, and Samsung is already being advised by U.S. regulators to recall millions of units due to instances of exploding and burning Galaxy Note 7 units.

As technology advances by the day, it’s hard to accept that exploding and burning phones continue to haunt us. We would think that by now, cellphone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple have created ways of preventing these catastrophes from happening.

But with another beautiful phone in our midst is yet another misfortune. Samsung just came out with the Galaxy Note 7 last August but U.S. regulator U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) is already advising consumers to start powering down their phones and urging the phone manufacturer to recall millions of Galaxy Note 7 units.

Stop using @SamsungSupport Galaxy #Note7. Full statement: https://t.co/v7sfEouZw2 pic.twitter.com/0NufAJScId

— U.S. CPSC (@USCPSC) September 9, 2016

USCPSC released a statement September 9 regarding the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 batteries which read the following.

“Lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of power into a small package. When these batteries overheat and burst, the results can be serious. This is why the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging all consumers who own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to power them down and stop charging or using the device.”

“This consumer warning is based on recent reports involving lithium-ion batteries in certain Note 7 devices that have resulted in fires. These incidents have occurred while charging and during normal use, which has led us to call for consumers to power down their Note 7s.”

“CPSC and Samsung are working cooperatively to formally announce an official recall of the devices, as soon as possible. CPSC is working quickly to determine whether a replacement Galaxy Note 7 is an acceptable remedy for Samsung or their phone carriers to provide to consumers.”

Vox reports that as of September 1, at least 35 cases of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 have been reported back to Samsung. Last September 7, we heard from Fox 10 about a Jeep that was engulfed in flames because a man’s Galaxy Note 7 exploded. After a Labor Day yard sale, Nathan Dornacher left his Galaxy Note 7 charging in the center console of his Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was only fortunate that the whole Dornacher family was already inside the house, unloading a desk they bought from the yard sale, when they noticed that the Jeep was already on fire.

Another terrible incident was already reported by WMBF News about a whole garage catching on fire because of an exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7. After investigations by the Horry County Fire Rescue, the cause of the fire is said to originate from a wall outlet, where apparently, a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was charging. Wesley Hartzog, owner of the garage, said that he left his Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to charge on the garage while he picked up his two daughters. When they got back home, firefighters were already at the scene, trying to quell the fire in their garage.

These reports are just two of the dozens of Galaxy Note 7 units which caught on fire, which is why Samsung is cooperating with USCPSC and recalling the Galaxy Note 7 units distributed from day one. Samsung’s official statement reads this.

“In response to our recent announcement regarding battery cell issues with the Galaxy Note7, we are advising that you power down your Note7 and exchange it now, as part of our U.S. Product Exchange Program for all Galaxy Note7 owners. We strongly advise all customers to use this exchange program because your safety is our top priority. Additional sales and shipments of the affected devices have been stopped, but if you already have a Galaxy Note7, we strongly advise that you replace it.”

Users can exchange their Galaxy Note 7 with a new Galaxy Note7 (pending CPSC approval) through the Exchange Program via select carrier and retail outlets. However, for now, users who are still waiting for their Galaxy Note 7 replacements can be provided with an equivalent device to use until CPSC-approved Note7s are available.

Users can also choose to ditch the Galaxy Note 7 altogether and choose to exchange it for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge with a refund of the price difference between devices.

Samsung is also throwing in a $25 gift card for the “inconvenience.”

The recall issued by Samsung is only for the Galaxy Note 7, and not the Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, although there have also been reports of exploding Galaxy S7 Edge units via Android Headlines.

[Image via Shutterstock]