Samsung Issues A Recall For Galaxy Note7 Due To Battery Issue

Samsung Electronics said Friday it’s halting sales of its Galaxy Note7 and replacing any devices that have already been sold after discovering an issue with the smartphone’s battery.

The move follows several reports that Galaxy Note7 devices had caught fire while charging their batteries. Samsung said it has seen 35 incidents reported globally related to issues with the Note7.

Samsung had launched sales of the Galaxy Note7 on Aug. 19 in the U.S.

[Related: Samsung Unveils Galaxy Note7, A Productivity-Focused Device With Iris Scanning Authentication]

In a statement Friday, the company said that ’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 voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.’

Samsung had initially halted shipments only in South Korea, where the company is based.

’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,’ Samsung said in its statement. ’We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.’

At Troy Mobility, a solution provider based in Peabody, Mass., Chief Customer Officer Paul Troisi said Thursday that Samsung’s fierce competition with smartphone makers, including Apple, is most likely to blame.

’Any time you’ve got a race that’s moving this fast, you’re bound to trip over your shoelaces eventually,’ said Troisi, whose firm specializes in enterprise mobility solutions, including for Samsung devices. ’Something’s going to fall through the cracks.’

In its statement, Samsung didn't give specifics about the problems found with the Galaxy Note7, saying only that ’in response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.’

The 5.7-inch Galaxy Note7 includes a number of features aimed at drawing interest for use in business, including iris scanning as an option for user authentication and a digital pen for writing on the device.

Other security options on the Note7 include a feature called Secure Folder, which lets users protect sensitive information with an additional layer of authentication.

The Note7's debut had followed Samsung’s biggest quarterly profits in two years during the second quarter, driven by sales of the Galaxy S7 smartphone.

"Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously," Samsung said in its statement Friday.