US regulators: Official recall of 1M Samsung Note 7 phones

“Samsung has announced a voluntary recall and exchange program on certain Galaxy Note7 devices in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission”, the company said in a statement.

Samsung says it will use various marketing tools to encourage people to exchange defective Note 7s, including emails and alerts to customers that have opted in to them.

All this confusion might explain why Galaxy Note 7 owners are continuing on with their daily lives as if their phone couldn’t blow up at a moments notice. A CPSC spokesman said roughly 97 percent of Galaxy Note 7 phones sold in the USA should be eligible for a refund. “Anyone who chooses to travel with a recalled devices must take precautions to ensure its safe handling”, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said on Thursday.

Consumers also have the option to exchange their current Note 7 and any of its accessories for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, price difference refund included.

Apple just introduced the latest versions of its iPhone, which go on sale Friday.

Numerous cases have been reported of the phones exploding and catching fire. All variants (color wise) of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are now officially recalled from all US wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, US Cellular, Sprint and even Best Buy. Samsung on Thursday said new Note 7 replacement devices will be available in the United States at most retail locations no later than September 21.

The CPSC said that almost a million Note7 smartphones were sold in the United States and estimates that 97 percent of those contain the defective battery.

Verizon said it would be waiving its restocking fee for customers who want to return or exchange the Note 7 until September 30. Any of these routes can provide a replacement device or refund.

The battery issue, reported The Associated Press at the time, stems from one of Samsung’s two battery suppliers.

The CPSC last week urged Note 7 customers to power down their devices over the fires.

Put your phone’s IMEI or serial number into the box at the official Samsung recall page to make sure you’re affected – ironically, after telling users to power down the phone immediately, the instructions suggest “going to “Apps Settings About Phone or General Management Status IMEI information or Serial number”. The Federal Aviation Administration also said that because of recent fire reports involving the smartphone, passengers shouldn’t use or charge one or stow one in checked baggage.