Just when we started to think Samsung was finally getting on top of its exploding-Note-7 debacle, we started to hear that some of the replacement phones were also overheating, with at least one owner claiming his new Note 7 device caught fire.
In a number of cases, the replacement handset was actually “too hot to place next to the ear during a phone call,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
The fresh complaints have been coming from a number of users in the U.S., as well as Samsung’s home market of South Korea, and pile even more pressure on the tech giant as it fights to limit damage to its reputation.
Samsung is clearly, and wisely, taking the reports seriously, announcing on Wednesday that it’s now investigating the complaints.
In a statement to the Journal, the company said that “in normal conditions, all smartphones may experience temperature fluctuations.” However, a temperature so hot that you can’t hold the device to your ear clearly falls outside of what can fairly be described as “normal,” and Samsung is now endeavoring to get to the bottom of it.
The Galaxy Note 7 launched to rave reviews in August, but some users soon started noticing their phone overheating, with at least 35 of the devices suddenly bursting into flames. The issue was put down to faulty batteries, prompting Samsung to issue a global recall of around 2.5 million units, with more than a million of those belonging to U.S. customers.
Seoul-based Samsung revealed last week that around half a million American owners of the Note 7 had exchanged their handset, with 90 percent opting for a new Note 7 rather than another smartphone.
Recent reports of the replacement handsets overheating come as the company grapples with another serious issue, this one concerning some of its top-loading washing machines. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission warned this week that some models of the company’s washing machines could break up during a spin cycle, sending nuts, bolts, plastic – and water – all over the place.
