Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones reportedly catch fire in China

TWO Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones have reportedly caught fire in China in what, if confirmed, would be the first such incidents in that country.

A user of Chinese social media posted on Sunday messages saying a friend’s Note 7 caught fire over the weekend. South Korean and Chinese news reports say a second Note 7 user reported a phone exploded Sunday.

According to Associated Press, Samsung Electronics said it was investigating one of the reported cases. The South Korean firm had earlier said the smartphones sold in China were safe to use.

The user of the phone told the news agency that the Note 7 was purchased only weeks ago on Sept 1 through popular Chinese electronic commerce website JD.com.

SEE ALSO: Samsung loses market share of $22bn following airline Galaxy Note 7 bans

The man, who asked not to be named, said the phone began to heat up and vibrate on Saturday before it exploded and emitted smoke.

The report said Samsung contacted the owner of the phone on Sunday and offered to exchange the gadget in exchange for a refund but the latter refused, the user said.

In the second case that was reportedly posted on a social media account, another owner’s phone exploded on Sunday while it was being used to play a game. There are no further details on the case so far.

A report by CRI English confirmed the first case. It quoted the phone user saying in an online posting that, “The screen of the mobile phone went dark while in use, and I threw away the phone when it suddenly began shaking. It then exploded.”

Quoting from Chinese language site Caixin.com, CRI English said JD.com believes the phone was indeed purchased by a customer in China.

Meanwhile, the e-retailer said Samsung is conducted a review on the first case. The firm has not responded to emails seeking comment on the matter, according to AP.

SEE ALSO: S.Korea: Samsung to recall all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after explosive reports

Samsung recently announced a recall for some phones in China but said other sales would go ahead because the Note 7 sold in China uses a different battery than those linked to problems elsewhere.

The tech giant had issued a worldwide recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones just two weeks after it launched in August. At the time of the recall, Samsung confirmed 35 incidents of combusting batteries.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later warned airline passengers not to turn on or charge their Galaxy Note 7 devices while on board a flight. They also warned against putting the smartphone into checked-in luggage.

This article first appeared on Asian Correspondent. Additional reporting from the Associated Press

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