Galaxy Note 7 recall FAQ: What we know about Samsung’s exploding ‘fire' phones


Update: In an unprecedented move, Samsung has announced a global recall of the brand new Galaxy Note 7, blaming a battery fault that causes some phones to catch fire.
At a press briefing in Seoul at 09:00 (BST) this morning, the South Korea tech giant confirmed that an internal investigation uncovered faulty battery cells several Galaxy Note 7 handsets. These dodgy batteries were determined to be the cause of the ‘exploding’ phones we’ve seen reported in the media recently.
The Galaxy Note 7 is Samsung’s latest smartphone, unveiled on August 2 and released in 10 countries on August 19. It’s very similar to the hugely successfulSamsung Galaxy S7 in terms of hardware, but features a larger display, an S-Pen stylus, an iris-scanner, and a USB-C port.

HOW MANY PHONES DOES THIS AFFECT?

According to DJ Koh, Samsung’s Mobile chief, the fault affects a very small number of handsets. Here’s a quote from Koh:
“As of September 1, a total of 35 claims were registered with Samsung’s service centres at home and abroad. Only 24 units on a scale of one million were affected by the battery problem.”

CAN I GET A REPLACEMENT PHONE?

You absolutely can get a replacement phone. Samsung has pledged to offer new replacements to all Galaxy Note 7 buyers in South Korea, and internationally too. You can get a replacement regardless of when you bought the phone too – there's no cut-off date.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear exactly when the recall program will begin, or how customers will be able to access it. Here's all we know from Koh:
"Samsung, together with its battery suppliers, has been conducting a close analysis to identify battery products that have a chance of being defective. It will take about two weeks to secure parts and components and prepare new products. Swapping out old Galaxy Note 7 for new phones will be carried out as fast as possible. Even before that, customers will have their gadgets examined at the service centres."
In the meantime, if you’re in the UK, Samsung Group's customer service number is:0330 726 1000. In the US, you can contact Samsung Customer Care on: 1-888-987-4357.

HOW CAN I STOP MY PHONE FROM EXPLODING?

Samsung hasn’t detailed the specific fault with the battery, so it’s hard to offer advice. As always, it’s recommended that you only charge the phone using the supplied cable and mains plug – avoid third-party cables, folks.
It’s also a good rule of thumb to charge your phone on hard, flat, cool surfaces, out of direct sunlight. Also make sure the phone isn’t covered by anything; don’t stick it under your pillow to charge overnight.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE UK?

It’s a bit tricky with the UK, because the phone isn’t actually on sale here – that means no recall, technically. But sales are still said to be halted, at least according to Samsung. The phones had already been delayed in the UK because of the battery issues, so it’s not clear how much this recall will affect shipping dates in the UK going forward. Here's what we know:
  • Clove still offers the phone for pre-order, but says the first stock won’t be available until “late September”
  • Carphone Warehouse still lists the phone as available for pre-order, with a delivery date of September 9. I've asked for confirmation on this
  • A Three PR rep was unsure when the phone would be in stock, and said the network was waiting for more details from Samsung. It's currently 'Out of stock' on the website
  • EE doesn't list a shipping date. A PR rep is looking into whether Samsung's recall will affect UK shipping
  • Giffgaff currently lists the phone as 'Out of stock'. A PR rep was unable to confirm delays
  • A Vodafone PR rep could not confirm shipping delays for the UK
For UK customers who have somehow managed to already wrangle a Galaxy Note 7, Samsung supplied the following statement to TrustedReviews:
"For UK customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. For more information, customers need to contact the customer service team on 0330 726 1000."

IS SAMSUNG SORRY?

Yes. Koh says: "Samsung offers a sincere apology to all customers and users for the battery fire occurring soon after the release of new products."

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