Safety regulators recall Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone

by Ali Breland - 09/15/16 5:32 PM ET

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday officially recalled the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

The recall will cover roughly 1 million phones, according to CNBC.

{mosads}The move was spurred by reports of the Note 7 catching fire or exploding, posing serious burn hazards. Samsung was reportedly aware of 95 instances of this happening.

The problem is due to an issue with the phone’s lithium ion battery.

“I am urging all consumers to take advantage of this recall right away,” CPSC chairman Elliot Kaye said at a press conference.

Consumers can either get a replacement or a refund from their carrier or directly from Samsung, Kaye added.

The official recall was expected after the CPSC issued a warning last week urging owners of the Note 7 to not charge or use the cellphone, saying they were working with Samsung to conduct an official recall.

Samsung did their own recall of the phone on Sept. 2.

“Our collaboration with the CPSC to fast-track a voluntary recall in the U.S. addresses safety concerns by ensuring we reach Note 7 owners quickly to exchange their devices,” Samsung Electronics America president Tim Baxter said in a statement Thursday.

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