Samsung’s Exploding Galaxy Note7 Just Got Recalled In Australia

Welp, it’s official: The Galaxy Note7 — Samsung’s video game-friendly, Vulkan API-equipped smartphone — has been recalled around the world due to an exploding battery problem. This includes all Note7 devices sold in Australia. If you own the Note7, here’s everything you need to know.

During a press conference in Seoul, Samsung confirmed that it will be recalling all Galaxy Note7 smartphones sold to consumers and shipped to retailers around the world. In all, around one million units are expected to be returned in the recall, including some 50,000 units sold in Australia.

The issue relates to the Note7’s lithium-ion 3500mAh battery, with an unintended meeting of the battery cells’ anode and cathode in some cases leading to fires. Needless to say, this is an unacceptable fault and Samsung had no choice but to issue the mass recall.

Here’s the official spiel from Samsung Australia about the colossal stuff-up:

“Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.
 
“To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally. There have no reported incidents in Australia. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.
 
“For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will provide a resolution of their choice including a replacement, repair or refund over the coming weeks.
 
“We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the customer experience is as convenient and efficient as possible. We will have an update for Australian customers early next week.”

If you own the Note7, you should take it back to the point of purchase and request either a replacement or refund. In the meantime, we’d recommend not charging it. It would also be a good idea to back up your photos and make sure your contacts are in the cloud.

You can read a comprehensive breakdown of the safety issue on Lifehacker.