Replacement Galaxy Note 7 could face its own recall
A second recall would be an unusual move but could happen if this week's incident aboard a Southwest Airlines flight involved a "safe" Galaxy Note 7.
- SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Could you be returning your Galaxy Note 7 for a second time?
The Galaxy Note 7 keeps turning up the heat on Samsung.
The Korean electronics titan could face an unusual second recall of its Galaxy Note 7, according to Bloomberg, citing two former US safety officials. The Federal Aviation Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are investigating whether a replacement Galaxy Note 7 was the smoking phone that led to the evacuation of a Southwest Airlines flight Wednesday.
A second recall could potentially put a nail in the coffin of the Note 7's prospects and throw Samsung's credibility into question. The incident is already a black eye for Samsung at a time when Apple has just launched its iPhone 7.
The CPSC is "moving expeditiously to investigate this incident," Chairman Elliot Kaye said in a statement regarding the Southwest flight. He continued to recommend that Note 7 owners turn off their phones and stressed that a refund is one possibility.
A commission representative wasn't available to comment Friday.
Samsung said it's looking into the Southwest incident and is in close contact with the CPSC.
"Samsung understands the concern our carriers and consumers must be feeling after recent reports have raised questions about our newly released replacement Note 7 devices," the company said in a statement.
"We continue to move quickly to investigate the reported case to determine the cause and will share findings as soon as possible...If we conclude a safety issue exists, we will work with the CPSC to take immediate steps to address the situation."
All the major US carriers say customers can exchange a replacement Note 7 for a different phone.
First published October 7, 6:23 a.m. PT.
Update, October 8 at 11:10 a.m.: Adds comment from Samsung; adds detail.