Government Urging Customers to Power Down All Samsung Note7 Phones

The recommendation applies to replacement phones meant to be safe as well.

ByABC News
October 10, 2016, 10:09 PM

— -- The U.S. government agency charged with product safety is urging consumers to power down and stop using all Galaxy Note7 smartphones -- whether they are a replacement or original.

In recent days, reports have surfaced of Note7 replacement devices -- given or sold to consumers after original Note7s were found to have a defect that caused them to overheat and in some cases catch fire -- overheating and smoking.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an investigation into the incidents involving the new, supposedly defect-free phones.

In the meantime, the four top cellular providers in the U.S. have halted sales and exchanges of the phones. Samsung said today that it is asking all carriers and retailers around the world to stop sales and exchanges of Note7 devices as the CPSC investigation moves forward.

Samsung also urged consumers to power down and stop using their devices.

And late on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration updated it's previous guidance -- urging fliers to power down the phone, not charge or store in checked baggage while in flight -- to include the replacement phones.

The company's stock was down about 4.7 percent at time of publication.

The Note7 model's issues have been a nightmare for the company since it launched on Aug. 19.

After reports emerged that the devices were overheating and reportedly sparking fires, the company initially attempted to sidestep a government recall, offering a "product exchange program," on Sept. 2.

The confusing exchange program eventually gave way to a government-sanctioned recall that was announced on Sept. 15, which saw replacement Note7 smartphones hit the market, supposedly free of a battery defect that was causing the original devices to overheat, explode and in some cases reportedly catch fire.

Since the replacement phones were introduced, however, reports of those devices suffering similar issues have surfaced.

ABC News' Daniel Steinberger and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.

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