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South Korean tech giant Samsung on Tuesday suspended all production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, halted sales worldwide and urged the users to either ‘power off or stop using’ the device while investigations are on to find out the reason behind the explosions taking place in the smartphone.
The decision comes following reports that replacements for combustible models were also catching fire.
‘We are working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place,’ Samsung said in a blogpost.
‘We remain committed to working diligently with appropriate regulatory authorities to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 device should power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available,’ it added.
According to a report on The Verge, five replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones have caught fire in the United States. The latest incident took place in Houston, Texas and according to the report, the new Note 7 ‘caught fire while sitting on the table’; it was changed at a Best Buy store in late September.
Major US carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile have also decided to temporarily suspend all Galaxy Note 7 sales and exchanges for the replacement of Note 7 devices while Samsung investigates ‘multiple reports of issues’.
The news slammed Samsung’s share price, which closed down 8.0 per cent at 1.54 million won, following a 1.5 per cent drop the day before.