Following reports of malfunctioning replacement phones for Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the world’s biggest phone manufacturer has urged device owners of both original Galaxy Note 7 and replacement Galaxy Note 7 to turn off their units.
The South Korean company has also decided to end the the production of its flagship phone barely two months following its launch after allegedly failing to correct the device’s defect.
In a filing to the Seoul stock echange, Samsung said in its statement: “(We) have decided to halt production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in order to consider our consumers’ safety first and foremost.”
In early September, the South Korean firm was forced to announce the recall of 2.5 million Note 7’s after several reports of units catching fire emerged. Due to its defective battery, the device overheated, emitted smoked, caught fire, injured users and damaged properties.
Millions of Note 7 units were replaced by the company at enormous cost. However, several reports of replacement phones allegedly bursting into flames have surfaced in recent days. In fact, a Southwest Airline flight got cancelled after a replacement phone owned by one of its passengers emitted smoke on board.
Initially regarded as sleek, powerful and one of the best Android phones, Note 7 was a premium device that received strong reviews from critics after it made its debut in August. It was supposed to compete with Apple’s latest iPhone and retailed for $850 in the US.
Samsung’s Share Price Falls by 7.5%
Following the unprecedented recall and end of production, Samsung’s share price decreased by 7.5% on Tuesday, taking off 19 trillion Korean won off its value.
Meanwhile, Apple’s share increased by 1.7% after its rival company announced that it will halt production.