Samsung Electronics Co. halted production of its Note 7 smartphones after customers reported problems with new devices, the latest blow in a six-week crisis over exploding phone batteries.
Samsung temporarily suspended production of its most expensive phone, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Monday, asking not to be identified because the decision isn?t public. The move came after wireless carriers including T-Mobile US Inc. and Australia?s Telstra Corp. stopped selling Note 7s following reports of problems with devices thought to be safe.
The South Korean company was originally engulfed in controversy after the high-end smartphone hit the market two months ago and customers began posting videos of charred and damaged handsets. Samsung quickly issued a recall and began working with officials worldwide to replace the original shipment of 2.5 million phones. But customers have since said that replacement Note 7s and models with supposedly safe batteries were overheating and catching fire, fueling concerns Samsung hasn?t solved the battery problems after all.
