Every now and again, Australia gets lucky in the world of technology: we get things first. Like with Samsung's latest phone, the Galaxy Note7.
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It hasn't shipped in the United States yet, but Australians started getting their hands on it from August 19. South Koreans and Canadians have already got the phones as well. But there's just one problem: it's, uh, possibly exploding.
Reuters reported on Thursday morning that shipments for the Galaxy Note7 are being delayed following reports from users that the phone is exploding. A report appeared on Android Community last week, while Business Korea revealed a second case from South Korean social media.
"My boyfriend's Galaxy Note7 exploded while charging at night. I woke up by the bang and the smell of smoke," a South Korean user reportedly said.
It's believed that faulty USB-C charging cables could be the culprit, although it could also happen when a non-official cable is connected to a micro-USB adaptor.
Gizmodo reported earlier this year about the dangers of crappy USB-C cables, and given that the PC and mobile industry is moving increasingly towards the USB-C standard its something users should be aware of.
Ohh, a USB C cable basically just snapped off in my phone.. Buy decent USB C Cables, people!— Peter Wells (@peterwells) August 29, 2016
To their credit, Samsung has delayed further shipments of the Galaxy Note7 to conduct "additional tests ... for product quality". They didn't specify anything beyond that, although it's undoubtedly a pain in Samsung's pocket. They already had to push back the Note7 launch in some countries due to demand, and investors won't be thrilled about any potential delays due to faults.
Mind you, a delay is a hell of a lot better than literally being woken up by things that go bang in the night.
