Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will replace all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones equipped with fire-prone batteries and halt sales of the flagship product in 10 markets, a devastating blow for what had been a revival in the firm’s mobile business.
Koh Dong-jin, head of the South Korean company’s smartphone business, spoke at a news conference jam-packed with reporters and cameras, with affected markets including the US, but not China, where models feature a different battery.
The announcement on Friday comes just over two weeks since the premium device’s launch, and follows reports of the 988,900 won ($885) phone igniting while charging.
The executive, who declined to comment on the number of phones needing replacement, said Samsung had sold 2.5 million of the premium devices so far. The manufacturer plans to replace not only phones with faulty batteries sold to consumers, but also retailer inventories and units in transit.
“I can’t comment on exactly how much the cost will be, but it pains my heart that it will be such a big number,” Koh said.

Samsung issues recall for Galaxy Note 7 after battery fires
An employee helps customers purchase a Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 new smartphone at its store in Seoul, South Korea, September 2, 2016 (Reuters)
Reuters, Seoul
Friday 02 September 2016
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:48 - GMT 06:48
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