Samsung Electronics Australia has officially recalled over 50,000 of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in the Australian market, after dozens of the devices globally reportedly caught fire due to battery problems.
The voluntary recall in the local market comes just weeks after the phone's launch, and follows a global announcement by the company on September 2 that it would halt sales of the flagship device and begin recalling the units, of which around 1 million had been sold internationally.
Samsung Electronics Australia has advised all Galaxy Note 7 users nationally to power off their device, return it to its place of purchase, and use an alternative device until, “a remedy can be provided”.
Additionally, Galaxy Note 7 users who have bought their device from Samsung are entitled to a new, replacement unit of the smartphone or a full refund, with a courtesy device provided for users until replacements are shipped.
The delivery of replacement devices to customers is expected within “three or four weeks” the company said.
“The safety and ongoing satisfaction of our customers is our top priority,” Samsung Electronics Australia vice-president of IT and Mobile, Richard Fink, said.
“We know our Galaxy Note 7 customers are our most loyal customers and we are taking a proactive approach to support them.
“We are asking customers to contact Samsung or their place of purchase to arrange a suitable courtesy smartphone or refund,” he said. “Courtesy devices will become available from [September 7].”
On September 2, Samsung released a global statement revealing that, at the time, there had been 35 cases reported globally of the devices catching fire due to battery problems.
“In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue,” the company said in a statement.
“We are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market,” it said. “However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.”
