Although Samsung reported that there were no known injuries associated with the exploding battery risk with its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, global sales have been ceased, and at least two reports of fire have been made.
In two cases, massive fires have led to serious destruction. While it has not yet been proven that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is responsible for either event, Samsung is investigating both cases, according to The Verge.
In one case, in Petersburg, Florida, a man looked out a window and discovered that his Jeep Grand Cherokee was in flames. He reported that he left his four-day-old Galaxy Note 7 charging in the Jeep’s center console just a few minutes the fire began. Although he said he is a long-time Note user, he said he doesn’t “think I’m going to let another Samsung product into my house,” according to The Verge.
The Galaxy Note 7 owner said he did not know about the Samsung recall. At that time, Samsung had handled the recall on its own and with retail partners and had not worked with U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission (CPSC). According to The Verge, having not made the recall “official” at the time of the event may become problematic for Samsung. A Samsung spokesperson said that Samsung is working with the consumer “to investigate his case and ensure we do everything we can for him.”
In another case, a South Carolina man says he blames the Galaxy Note 7 for a garage fire that led to his house being condemned, The Verge reported. The man said his Samsung phablet was plugged into a wall outlet, which is where fire investigators believe blaze began.
“They asked me if I had anything plugged in in the garage,” he told local NBC affiliate WMBF. “My cell phone, which was the new Note 7, was plugged in in the garage. I also had an air compressor plugged into the same outlet but the compressor wasn’t on,” he said.
He and his children are living in hotels during the investigation. He also noted that he was unaware of Samsung’s recall announcement, The Verge pointed out.
According to Samsung, the Note 7’s battery may become overheated, an event that originates from “a very rare manufacturing process error.”
Forbes just announced that the CPSC issued a recall of the Galaxy Note 7 on September 15th. As of the CPSC recall, there have been at least 92 reports of batteries overheating, which includes 26 burn reports and 55 property damage reports, according to the CPSC. The CPSC announced that, “Consumers should immediately stop using and power down the recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices purchased before September 15, 2016.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also announced that owners of the recalled Note 7 must turn off their phones when flying, and must not put the devices in checked baggage as the power button may accidentally become pushed during transit.
More battery-related cases:
