The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged owners of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on Friday to shut them down and stop charging them immediately.
The warning follows reports that the device’s lithium-ion batteries are prone to catching fire.
The independent regulatory agency put out a release afternoon that said it’s working with Samsung on announcing an official recall of the phone. Samsung confirmed it was collaborating with the agency on an official recall in the U.S.
In a statement from Samsung following the CPSC release, Samsung president Tim Baxter said: “Samsung continues to ensure that consumer safety remains our top priority. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note7s and exchange them now. New Note7 replacement devices will be issued to exchange program participants upon completion of the CPSC process. In the interim, consumers can return their Note7 for another device.”
Samsung also notes that there have only been a small number of reported incidents.
This isn’t the first reaction from a U.S. government agency on Note 7 devices. On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration warned air travelers to avoid using Note 7 phones on planes. “In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage,” the FAA said in a statement.
Before the launch of the Note 7, Samsung had been in the midst of a revival. Thanks to the successful phones like the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung recently enjoyed its most profitable quarter in two years. The Note 7 also seemed like it was going to be a hit. In a review published last month, the Verge gushed that “The Note 7 is Samsung’s best device ever, and arguably the best big phone ever made.” Reviewers praised its sleek design with metal and glass materials as well as an improved stylus, called the S Pen, for taking notes and drawing pictures.
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