Samsung recalls Galaxy Note 7 over exploding battery

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK

Samsung issued a worldwide recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone Friday after some users reported their devices caught fire while charging.

The South Korean company said as of Sept. 1 there has been a total of 35 reported cases with defected batteries.

"In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue,” Samsung said in a statement as it halted sales of the device. Existing Note 7 devices on the market will be replaced voluntarily for customers with new ones in the coming weeks.

The company noted that a thorough inspection with its suppliers is currently being conducted in order to identify the possible affected batteries that are already on the global market.

The battery issue comes less than a week before Samsung's biggest rival, Apple, is expected to reveal its new iPhone next Wednesday.

The recall is expected to be costly for Samsung and could threaten its position in the smartphone market, according to analysts.