Samsung to replace or refund 1 million Galaxy Note 7 phones in US

By Park Si-soo

Samsung Electronics has formally announced the recall of nearly 1 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold in the United States, replacing or refunding the flagship phones that have a battery problem.

Samsung received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the United States, including 26 reports of burns and 55 cases of property damage, the company said, as it announced the recall in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The commission issued a warning last week that Galaxy Note 7 owners should stop using the devices and turn them off because of the threat of a battery fire.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has asked airline passengers to switch off and unplug the recalled Note 7s during flights.

About 2.5 million of the premium devices worldwide need to be recalled, Samsung said. Some analysts say the recall could cost Samsung nearly $5 billion in lost revenue this year.