Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners can get replacement by Sept. 21
Following dozens of reports of exploding phones, the company says it plans to have new units in stores by Wednesday.
If you're a Galaxy Note 7 owner, you're in luck -- finally. You'll be able to get your replacement within the next week.
Samsung on Thursday said new Note 7 replacement devices will be available in the US at most retail locations no later than Sept. 21.
The update came as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday issued a 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 where they purchased the devices to either get a new Note 7, a refund or a replacement device. The CPSC's notice makes it illegal to attempt to sell or resell one of the recalled Note 7 phones.
"Consumer safety is always our highest priority," Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said in a statement. "Our collaboration with the CPSC to fast-track a voluntary recall in the US addresses safety concerns by ensuring we reach Note 7 owners quickly to exchange their devices."
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.
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.
After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung 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. While it's been pushing a global recall of its own, many people have kept using their phones anyway. Some have been injured when the phone caught on fire. The CPSC decision makes the recall more formal.
Now that people will be able to get a replacement immediately in a store, it's likely Note 7 owners will replace their devices more quickly, said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen.
"When my car breaks down, they give me a loaner because I can't be without my car," he said. "You can argue the phone might be even more important. ... People can't imagine going hours, let alone days or weeks without a device."
CNET's Sean Hollister contributed to this report.
Update at 3:15 p.m. PT with analyst comment.