The story is the latest report of an exploding Galaxy Note 7 causing personal injury or damage to property. Over the past few weeks, there have been over 30 confirmed incidents of a Note 7 exploding and setting houses and cars on fire, in some cases causing burns to people.
The New York Post reports that the handset exploded while being used to watch videos on Saturday night. Linda Lewis, the boy’s grandmother, told the site that the phone “set off alarms in my house.” The boy was rushed to Downstate Medical Center with burns to his body just before 8 p.m. Saturday. The incident has left him too scared to go near modern devices.
The family has been in contact with Samsung but its case is far from unique. When the Galaxy Note 7 was launched last month, it was reviewed as one of the best Android smartphones ever built. Just a few weeks later, Samsung has been forced to recall all 2.5 million devices currently in use, suspending sales around the world.
Owners have up to 30 days to return their phone and obtain a free replacement. Many carriers are offering a loan device of comparable value until shipments of new Note 7s arrive. Samsung is marking safe phones with a prominent blue “S” symbol on the box, signifying the phone does not use the compromised battery cells that are causing the explosions.
Despite the promise of a free replacement, some Note 7 owners have chosen not to participate in the recall, usually due to fears that shipments of new devices may be a long time coming. In the past week, a number of organisations have stepped up their calls for all Note 7s to be replaced, however.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning “strongly advising” air passengers not to turn on or charge Note 7 devices while on a flight. Separately, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) called for all owners to “power down” their Note 7s and immediately return them to Samsung. “Lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of power into a small package,” the Commission said in a statement. “When these batteries overheat and burst, the results can be serious.”
The official comments have led Samsung to increase the strength of its own advice. In an updated statement posted over the weekend, the company urged all Note 7 users to “immediately” return their device. It acknowledged that some customers have concerns that replacement phones may take weeks or months to arrive, stressing it is expediting all shipments. It warned customers not to put their phone above their own safety.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our customers. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note7s and exchange them as soon as possible,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be provided through the exchange program as conveniently as possible and in compliance with related regulations. We sincerely thank our customers for their understanding and patience.”
News reports of incidents like that in New York on Saturday night led to a dramatic fall in Samsung’s share price today. After initially appearing resilient to the negative attention, the company’s shares fell almost 7 percent today. The company’s value has decreased by around $14 billion, hardly the result anticipated for what was once widely considered to be the best phone of 2016.
