A young boy is said to have suffered burns at the hands of recalled Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7.
A 6-year-old boy from Brooklyn, N.Y. suffered burns to his body over the weekend after the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone he was holding reportedly overheated and "exploded" in his hand, the child’s grandmother Linda Lewis told The New York Post in an interview on Sunday.
The explosion was so violent that it "set off alarms" in Lewis' house and forced his family to call 911. He was promptly rushed to the Downstate Medical Center to treat his burns, Lewis said.
The news comes as Samsung is in the midst of a worldwide recall of its Galaxy Note 7. The device, which launched last month to considerable fanfare, has a design problem that could cause it to overheat and for batteries built into the smartphone to explode.
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The Galaxy Note 7′s troubles have become so concerning that Samsung is calling on all owners to return the device. Airlines around the world have similarly asked flyers not to bring the smartphone’s onboard flights, and the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said last week it’s working on an official recall for users to return the smartphone. In the meantime, Samsung called on all users to turn the devices off.
Although Samsung hasn’t said exactly how much the recall will cost, the company said that the problem could cost it a "heartbreaking" amount. The company’s shares have since fallen to their lowest level in years after the smartphone”s recall. Analysts have chimed in, saying that the recall could have a lasting impact on Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone brand and could ultimately drive customers to competitors' brands, like Apple’s AAPL iPhone.
"Some said initially the Galaxy Note 7 could be the best smartphone ever, but now it’s possible the phone will go down as the worst ever," IBK Securities analyst Lee Seung-woo told Reuters on Sunday.
Samsung has launched a worldwide program to collect the estimated 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7s living in the wild. In the U.S., for instance, customers can return their Galaxy Note 7 to the carrier or retail stores and get a Samsung or Galaxy S7 Galaxy S7 Edge, as well as a refund on the price difference between the Note 7 and those devices. Samsung is also offering a$ 25 gift card in-store credit or bill credit from select carrier retail outlets."
The question, however, is whether Samsung will be able to get customers to trust its brand and devices again. While the company was quick to address the problem, it’s unlikely many will forget the overheating and exploding concerns anytime soon.
In her interview with the Post, Lewis said her grandson, who was watching videos on the device when it exploded, hasn’t forgotten what happened. She said that since he’s come home to the hospital, "he doesn’t want to see or go near any phones, let alone a Galaxy Note 7.
Lewis added that her family has contacted Samsung about the explosion.
"We take every report very seriously and have contacted the Lewis family to learn more about their situation," a Samsung spokesperson told Fortune. "As we are currently looking into this case, we are unable to comment further right now."
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