Samsung officially recalls Note 7 after US agency weighs in
The US safety agency says Samsung has received 92 reports of the batteries overheating in the US, including 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage.
It's official. If you've still got a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, you've got to hand it over.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday announced an official recall for all Note 7 phones sold in the country before September 15. The group said "consumers should immediately stop using and power down the recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices" and contact the location they purchased the devices to either get a new Note 7, a refund or replacement device.
Shortly after the CPSC issued its recall, Samsung said it would have replacement devices in stores by September 21. Samsung's efforts to replace the Note 7 in the US had been stalled, waiting for the CPSC to come to the decision to recall the device.
Samsung has received 92 reports of the batteries overheating in the US, including 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, including fires in cars and a garage, the CPSC said.
Samsung launched its Galaxy Note 7 phablet in late August to much fanfare and overall favorable reviews, but users quickly noticed some problems with the device. Specifically, a "battery cell issue" caused some Notes to overheat and start fires. Airlines have banned customers from using them on flights.
After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung earlier this month made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold. That's said to be 1 million of the 2.5 million that were manufactured.
The company stopped all sales and shipments of the Note 7 and said it was working with government agencies and cellular carriers around the world to provide refunds and exchanges for the phone.
Still, Samsung has been criticized for how it initially handled the issue. It has been pushing a global recall of its own, but many people have kept using their phones anyway. Some have been injured when the phone caught on fire.
CNET's Sean Hollister contributed to this report.
Update at 2:10 p.m. PT with replacement device information.