It looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco isn’t ending any time soon. Apparently, a replacement Note 7 – which is deemed to be safe for usage by Samsung – caught on fire on a plane as it was preparing to take off. Needless to say, this is a major issue that could really damage Samsung’s image.
According to The Verge, which has gotten into contact with the owner – Brian Green – of the damaged Galaxy Note 7, the device started smoking after he had switched it off and was putting it in his pocket. He then dropped his Note 7 on the floor of the plane when more smoke poured out of the smartphone.
Images via The Verge.
Green confirmed with The Verge that his unit of the Galaxy Note 7 is a replacement, elaborating that he picked it up from an AT&T store on 21 September. His Note 7 also had a green battery icon and a black square symbol on the device’s packaging; both of these indicate that Green’s Note 7 is indeed a replacement unit.
Naturally, Samsung was contacted regarding the matter. The company gave this statement in response to The Verge:
“Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note7. We are working with the authorities and Southwest (the airline) now to recover the device and confirm the cause. Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share.”
Based on Green’s account – his Galaxy Note 7’s IMEI number was also used to verify if it’s a safe unit – it’s evident that the Note 7 in this incident is a replacement unit, which isn’t supposed to catch on fire. It will be interesting to see how Samsung will respond to this issue; it isn’t looking very good for the Korean company at the moment.
(Source: The Verge; Featured Image: The Verge)
