Samsung Galaxy Note 7 pulled from shelves in Australia

Samsung is halting retail sales of the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in Australia amid reports that batteries in some devices have exploded.

The smartphone manufacturer today advised that it was working with retailers to "inspect" devices, and that sales of the Note 7 would be "paused."

It's an embarrassing turn of events for Samsung, which launched the Galaxy Note 7 through retailers exactly two weeks ago, with talk of "record" pre-sales and a "watershed year" for the company worldwide.

Now, those same retailers have been asked to pull the latest flagship phone from sale.

"Sales of the Galaxy Note 7 have been paused while we investigate," a Samsung Australia spokesperson said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

CNET understands there have been no reports of faulty devices in Australia, but Australian resellers, including telecommunications provider Vodafone, have already halted sales.

"Vodafone Australia confirmed it has paused sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 while Samsung completes its investigation into reports of issues affecting Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones globally," the company said in a statement.

"Vodafone will contact customers if Samsung's investigation finds there is a fault with the device."

The news follows reports that Samsung is planning to announce a global recall of its latest flagship phone release, after users in South Korea posted pictures and video on social media of devices that had become charred, reportedly due to internal batteries exploding en route to customers.

The global timing is far from ideal for the South Korean tech giant, coming two weeks after the Note 7 started shipping out to customers across the world. It's also an unwelcome distraction for Samsung, which is taking to the stage in Berlin this week to announce a raft of new products, including its new Gear S3 smartwatch, at the IFA technology show.

Updated at 8.10 p.m. AEST: Samsung confirmed a global recall of the Note 7 on Friday night.

"In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue," a statement from the company read.

"Because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.

"For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will provide a resolution of their choice including a replacement, repair or refund over the coming weeks."