Samsung NZ issues recall of all Galaxy Note7 smartphones

With international reports suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy Note7's battery is prone to exploding or catching fire, Samsung New Zealand has taken the safe approach by recalling all Note7s currently in circulation.

A statement issued by the company last week said that there have been 35 reported cases of issues with battery cells, and the company's own findings support that there is a major issue. While no cases have been reported in New Zealand, the company issued a voluntary recall anyway.

"Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue," the statement says.

"We are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. As our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7," it continues.

According to Samsung's website, affected New Zealand Note7 models begin with 'SM-N930'. Any without that model number are not affected by the recall.

The company states that affected customers will receive a new Note7 as a replacement in the next four weeks. The company will also provide loan phones to customers who are unable to wait for their free replacement.

Samsung advises all Note7 customers to back up their data using the recommended Smart Switch software (free to download) before returning their phone to the retailer.

"Customers are advised to go into the store that they purchased their Note 7 from. For on-line purchases please either visit that operator's store or call the Samsung Call centre on 0800 Samsung and a representative will be able to guide you where you can get your replacement Note 7," Samsung states. Samsung says it is working closely with suppliers to ensure the replacement process runs smoothly.

Customers who have queries can contact Samsung's customer service team on 0800 SAMSUNG.