Samsung Stops Galaxy Note7 Sales and Issues Global Recall Due to Battery Fires

Early today Samsung issued a press release announcing they have decided to stop sales of their new Galaxy Note7 phone due to a battery issue and will do a voluntary recall of the devices that have already been sold.

The issue, according to Samsung, is a bad battery cell in the 3500 mAh non-removeable battery in the phones.

Samsung reports there have been 35 individual cases of fires related to the Note7's battery which have been reported so far and they are in the process of examining batteries from their suppliers to see if other affected units might be in the marketplace.

Just to give you an idea of what can happen to a Galaxy Note7 when the battery catches on fire just check out this YouTube video from Ariel Gonzalez:

As you hear him say in the video the device was just plugged in for a short while to charge and after unplugging it he was about to attach it to his waist when it caught fire.

So what do you do if you have a Galaxy Note7?

First - do not plug it in for charging anymore and keep the device turned off.

Since the battery can not be removed, I would also store this device in a secure spot so that if it was to spontaneously combust it will not cause bodily or property damage.

Samsung stated in their press release that the recall will begin in the coming weeks so you need to make sure there is no risk to you, your home or other locations until you are able to swap it out.

"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 replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible."

Whatever you do just stop using the handset right now. I know it may be tempting to think it won't happen to you but are you willing to take that risk?

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.