Samsung hit a bit of a setback recently, when their latest flagship, the Galaxy Note 7, started to have issues with the batteries in some units tending to heat up and explode while charging. The company responded quickly, offering replacements and advising customers to return their devices as soon as possible, but the multiple reports of exploding batteries in the Galaxy Note 7 had many Samsung users concerned for their safety. Near the end of last month, Samsung began shipping replacement devices, but unfortunately, many users reported their replacements coming with some battery issues of their own. The batteries were heating up very quickly and experiencing massive battery drain. While this is a serious problem in itself, the replacement devices have not reportedly had any widespread safety issues at this point.
With safer Galaxy Note 7 units shipping to owners, safety concerns have started to subside. Unfortunately, not all of the replacement devices may, in fact, be safe, as earlier today, a Galaxy Note 7 was at the center of an incident on a Southwest Airlines flight that caused the plane to be evacuated. The defective Galaxy Note 7 started to emit smoke and burned some of the plane’s carpet. Brian Green, the owner of the phone, stated that it was, in fact, a replacement device that he received after returning the original unit, and it had the green battery icon, which Samsung is using on the Galaxy Note 7 to indicate to owners that their device is safe. Now, Samsung has responded to the incident with an official spokesperson reported to have stated that “Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7… Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share.” If Samsung is able to confirm that the device in question was one of the newer devices which was issued as a replacement, this incident could stand to harm their reputation even further and make it difficult for them to regain the trust of consumers.
At this point, it appears this is an isolated incident, and there is no information to suggest that the rest of the replacement devices are unsafe as well. Still, if you own a Galaxy Note 7, exercise caution and be sure to take the appropriate steps if you notice any behavior that does not seem safe or normal. If you happen to have one of the original models, check for a green battery icon to ensure that it is considered safe, and if it isn’t, return the unit right as requested for a replacement device.