Samsung have recalled millions of their flagship Galaxy Note 7 handsets after a video emerged showing one that had apparently caught fire. YouTuber Ariel Gonzalez uploaded the clip which featured the charred remains of a 7 cell phone. He claims that the device caught fire after he unplugged it from his charger. The fire was said to have been caused by a defective battery. Samsung have set up an official investigation, and has said that they will replace all handsets sold
Gonzalez is not the only individual to report the issue. South Korean high school teacher Park Soo-Jung claims that she injured herself fleeing from her bedroom after her handset also caught fire. “If the exploded phone had burned near my head, I would not have been able to write this post,” she said.
Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung’s cell phone arm, released the following statement:
“There was a tiny problem in the manufacturing process, so it was very difficult to figure out. It will cost us so much it makes my heart ache. Nevertheless, the reason we made this decision is because what is most important is customer safety.”
2.5 million handsets in 10 countries, including the US and Australia, have been recalled.