Samsung may soon announce a global Galaxy Note 7 recall due to exploding batteries

Over the past few weeks, reports have come out regarding the Galaxy Note 7 with several users who have had their devices explode while charging. We still don’t officially know what the cause of this issue is (many, including us, have attributed it to accessories) but it seems that Samsung may have traced back to the root of the issue.

A Samsung official recently spoke to Korean publication Yonhap, revealing that the cause may be related to the battery. Apparently, the company has determined that approximately 0.1% of Galaxy Note 7 units may be affected, however, this may be enough to trigger a full global recall of the device.

Products installed with the problematic battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold. The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we’ll come up with convincing measures for our consumers.

The official further stated that Samsung has no intention to hide its findings or delay the recall, but rather to take care of the situation to the maximum benefit for the consumer. For unlocked models Samsung can make the announcement without any barriers; however, for carrier issued devices, it may face a small issue in announcing the recall. Discussions are apparently underway on how to best deal with Samsung’s dealers on this possible recall.

Global discussions are under way about matters such as how to deal with products delivered to dealers. Results of the investigation and relevant countermeasures will be made public this weekend or early next week at the latest.

These sort of issues definitely don’t help build confidence in a brand, but industry watchers say that Samsung will be able to take this recall and use it as an opportunity to build credibility thanks to the quick turnaround with recognizing and taking action on the issues. Odds are Samsung will also offer free gifts to affect customers to help instill confidence.

In the meantime, if you are using a Galaxy Note 7, you should probably stop using third-party accessories. Stick to Samsung’s official USB C charger (not the microUSB to USB C adapter), and perhaps avoid leaving the phone charging over long periods of time. We’ll keep an eye out for any official word from Samsung regarding the situation.