Following Korean news reports of the batteries in some new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones catching fire or exploding, Samsung says it is delaying shipments of the device pending additional quality control testing.
“Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 are being delayed due to additional tests being conducted for product quality,” the company tells Reuters, with a similar statement going to the Wall Street Journal.
South Korean news agency Yonhap was among the first to report that Samsung had halted its shipment of the Note 7 to wireless providers in the company’s home country. That report says there are at least five claims thus far of the device exploding while being charged.
A quick search of the U.S. SaferProducts.gov database didn’t turn up any stateside complaints about the Note 7, but does show that a number of Samsung customer have previously complained about their previous model Galaxy phones allegedly catching fire or smoking while plugged in for charging.
What Samsung has not made clear in its statements regarding the Note 7 is how the delays will impact the global rollout of the product. The Note 7 is set to release in Europe this week, and reportedly in China next month. A company official declined to tell the Journal which specific markets were affected by the halt in shipping.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist