Several Samsung Galaxy Note 7's lay on a counter in plastic bags after they were returned to a Best Buy on September 15, 2016 in Orem, Utah. (Photo : Getty Images/George Frey)
Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung initially did not recall smartphones in China after users all over the world reported that the new units spontaneously burst into flames.
Recently, the Chinese government department that oversees consumer product safety said Samsung will recall 190,984 units of the Galaxy Note 7s sold to China.
Samsung reported that "there have been 20 incidents involving overheating or fire-related accidents" with the phones in China. The company published a guide to consumers on how to exchange their devices for new ones from Samsung distributors or get a refund.
The smartphone manufacturer at first did not include China in the recall as the company said that the batteries that were included in the units exported to China had no defect.
"Samsung very much values the Chinese market. It has never and will never apply a double standard towards China. Right now, the new, exchanged Note 7 devices overseas use the same battery supplier as the domestic version. To this day, of the 1 million consumers [with this phone] globally, 150,000 are from China, and all are using this battery," stated the company.
Samsung, in a statement, expressed the need to respond to customers' needs and the intention to address to concerns.
According to the statement, "We take the Galaxy Note 7 explosions in China very seriously. When facing each incident, we always immediately, proactively contact the user and obtain the relevant information."
The company shipped 325 million units to China and said that they are still looking into the source of the overheating batteries.
In the U.S., Samsung has stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7 altogether. Consumer groups expressed that the recall would have been implemented in a better way if the company coordinated with the government.
