Fire Hazard Prompts Samsung's Vow to Replace Galaxy Note7s in 'Coming Weeks’

Samsung’s statement Friday that it halted sales of Galaxy Note7 smartphones a month into their introduction (see 1608020036) and will replace phones already purchased “over the coming weeks” made no specific mention of the widely reported fire hazard that prompted the recall. Samsung “is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously,” the statement said. “In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.” Samsung is aware of 35 “cases” globally through Thursday and is “conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market,” it said. “We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.”