SEOUL: Users are being asked to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them as soon as possible, said Koh Dong-Jin, the head of Samsung’s mobile business, in a statement late Saturday, adding the firm was “collaborating with national regulatory bodies” around the world.

Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant, urged global consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone due to a spate of exploding batteries that raised alarm around the world.

Stepping up its warnings, the world’s largest smartphone maker on Sunday told Note 7 users worldwide to immediately turn the device off.

Mr Dong-Jin said earlier the fault rate for the Note 7 amounted to 24 handsets per million and it would take about two weeks to prepare replacements.

He advised consumers to use replacement phones which would be loaned by the firm until a new Note 7 equipped with fault-free batteries were provided.

Growing concern over the device prompted air carriers and aviation authorities in countries including the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and India to ban the use of the Note 7 on board.

Published in Dawn September 13th, 2016