Skip to main content

Samsung says it’s halting sales of the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide

Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Samsung announced Monday evening it’s officially halting sales of its troubled Galaxy Note 7 device. The company said it’s instructing carriers and stores around the world to stop selling the handset after receiving multiple reports of replacement devices also catching fire.

“We are working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note 7,” the South Korean company said in a statement released at around 7 p.m. ET on Monday, adding, “Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place.”

Samsung said it remains “committed to working diligently with appropriate regulatory authorities to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation,” and urged anyone still with an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 to “power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available.” These include returning it to the store for a refund, or exchanging it for another phone.

The original Note 7, which launched in August, was recalled by Samsung after a fault caused some units to overheat and in some cases suddenly combust. Believing a battery issue to be the cause, the company released what it thought were safe Note 7 phones as replacements, but some of these handsets have also been going up in flames.

Reported incidents regarding the replacement handset include a Kentucky resident suffering lung damage after his Note 7 filled his bedroom with smoke, a fire on a Southwest Airlines flight on October 5, and an overheating unit causing burns to a 13-year-old Minnesota girl.

Samsung sold around 2.5 million Note 7 phones in the first few weeks of its release. While some carriers and stores around the world had recently stopped selling the phone, Samsung’s announcement on Monday evening makes it official.

For more information on the Note 7’s troubled existence and the subsequent recall, check out DT’s dedicated page here.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
I made a mistake with my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in Mint and blue colors.

If you order the Galaxy Z Flip 5 through Samsung’s own online store, there are several exclusive colors to choose from, including the ones available at your local carrier. When I decided to get the Z Flip 5 instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, I also decided to go for one of the online-only colors too.

But while I know I chose the right phone, I’m not absolutely sure I chose the right color.
Samsung's Z Flip 5 colors, explained

Read more
Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 waterproof?
Back of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the slimmest and lightest Galaxy Fold device yet. It's also the most technically capable, offering a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a brighter inner display, slightly improved cameras, and more. Simply put, it's one of the best folding phones you can buy in 2023. But did the thinner and lighter design have any impact on the Fold 5's water resistance?

Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 4 offered an IPX8 rating for water resistance, not waterproofing. The two terms are used interchangeably every now and then, but there’s a clear difference between the two. Does the Z Fold 5 keep that IPX8 water-resistance rating? Does it have something better? Something worse? Here's what you need to know.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is not waterproof

Read more
Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 have a headphone jack?
The top of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

If you're in the market for a folding phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the best you can buy. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip (customized for Samsung) and features a sleeker build and brighter display, among other improvements, compared to its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also gets support for an improved S Pen and better multitasking abilities with support for up to four apps simultaneously.

Besides its productivity features, the Galaxy Z Fold's expansive inner screen also makes it an excellent device for entertainment and gaming. Samsung says the inner folding display gets as bright as 1,750 nits -- the brightest ever on any Galaxy Z Fold series device. This ensures the display delivers clear and well-defined output, irrespective of how challenging the ambient lighting may be. For purists looking to consume media on this large screen, one question remains: does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 have a 3.5mm headphone jack?

Read more