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Samsung is investigating replacement Galaxy Note 7s that still have battery problems

Published Sep 28th, 2016 4:13PM EDT
Note 7 Explodes
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Samsung’s best ever smartphone has also been the biggest ever nightmare for the company’s mobile business. And now, the nightmare has somehow managed to get even bigger. Samsung was forced to issue a global recall of its just-launched Galaxy Note 7 flagship smartphone when a battery defect caused some units to explode while charging.

The company has now replaced a huge number of handsets with new phones that have been deemed safe, but it looks like Samsung’s rush to replace potentially dangerous Note 7 units may have caused yet another headache: Samsung has confirmed that it’s looking into reports that newer replacement Galaxy note 7 units still have battery problems.

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As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Samsung has confirmed that it is looking into multiple customer claims that replacement Note 7 phones may be faulty. So far, there have been no reports of explosions caused by the defect that affected Samsung’s first run of handsets — there have been reports of “safe” Note 7s catching fire in China, but Samsung said that external heat sources were to blame, not handset malfunctions.

While no newer units have exploded, some users are reporting that their Galaxy Note 7 handsets are becoming extremely hot during usage. According to WSJ, complaints have come from users in the US and in South Korea who claim the phone gets so hot that they cannot hold it to their faces to make a phone call.

“There have been a few reports about the battery charging levels and we would like to reassure everyone that the issue does not pose a safety concern,” a Samsung spokesperson said on Wednesday. “In normal conditions, all smartphones may experience temperature fluctuations.” The company will continue to investigate the claims, however.

In other news, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Wednesday that it is investigating multiple reports from consumers who say that their Samsung washing machines exploded while in use.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.