Galaxy Note 7 owners can swap their faulty device for a new model (expected to become available in the next week or so), or receive an S7 or Edge smartphone instead. Those measures will differ in every region, but in the US at least, Samsung is offering a product exchange program. "The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we'll come up with convincing measures for our consumers." "Products installed with the problematic battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold," a Samsung spokesperson told the media last week. While the amount of Galaxy Note 7s that are considered to be at risk is ultimately small – it's estimated that only 24 out of every 1 million phones are affected – Samsung has no option but to recall every device manufactured in the interests of safety. When this happens, especially when the batteries are charged, a lot of heat is generated inside the cells and this leads to electrolyte boiling, the rupture of the cell casing, and then a significant fire." "Small defects in the manufacturing or materials stream lead to the plus/minus sides of the batteries being shorted with each other after a small amount of use. "If there is an inherent defect in the cell, it will go off at some point," materials scientist Jay Whitacre from Carnegie Mellon University told Wired at the time.
We've seen this issue flare up before with devices like ride-on 'hoverboards', leading to many airlines and aviation authorities around the world banning them on planes last year after a series of dangerous incidents. Due to an undisclosed manufacturing defect, the lithium ion battery cell can overheat when charging, leading in some instances to the battery catching fire or exploding. Samsung says it has conducted a "thorough investigation" of the issue, and claims the flaw stems from a problem with the Note 7's battery cell. "However, because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7." ", there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally, and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market," the company announced in a statement. It then announced a recall of all 2.5 million devices on Friday. The South Korean electronics company delayed shipments of the smartphone last week, after several people posted images online of burnt, broken Note 7s. "If the device is recalled by the manufacturer, airline crew and passengers will not be able to bring recalled batteries or electronics that contain recalled batteries in the cabin of an aircraft, or in carry-on and checked baggage," an FAA spokesperson told Matt Novak at Gizmodo.
Last week, Samsung announced that it had voluntarily initiated its own product recall, but if it elects to institute a formal process with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the FAA would have to enact the ban. Adding to the controversy, the FAA might also ban them on planes, meaning travellers will be prohibited from taking a potentially faulty Note 7 on board aircraft in the US.