Just weeks after the smartphone/tablet hybrid’s launch, Samsung has a surprise for consumers who recently purchased its Galaxy Note 7: A worldwide recall. In a move that The Verge calls “unprecedented,” the Korean electronics giant is recalling the 1 million Galaxy Note 7s that have already been sold, and is halting sales on all units currently sitting in warehouses and on store shelves around the globe. (Everywhere except China, that is, which is not included in the recall.)
The reason for this massive embarrassment and financial disaster for the company? A small percentage of units—35 have been identified so far—have exploded or caught fire while charging due to a flaw in the phone’s lithium battery. Yep, exploded. As an anonymous official tells Korean news agency Yonhap, “Products installed with the problematic battery account for less than 0.1 percent of the entire volume sold. The problem can be simply resolved by changing the battery, but we’ll come up with convincing measures for our consumers.”
A plan is still being put into place as to how this recall is going to work, but Samsung will apparently replace any Galaxy Note 7s that are already in the hands of consumers like spokesman Christoph Waltz. So, yeah, that shiny new Note 7 you got because you saw a commercial where they dip it in water and it still works, which is good for you because you keep dropping your phone in the toilet somehow? Be careful about plugging it in.