The current Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall due to battery issues has brought on a number of concerns, and several Australian airlines have now banned the use of the device on board.
What could have been one of the most highly anticipated smartphone releases of 2016 has become a destructive concern, with the South Korean company having to take back the Galaxy Note 7 due to exploding batteries. Such recall is expected to bring on $1 billion worth of costs for Samsung.
Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly considering the decision to prohibit the use of the Galaxy Note 7 on planes, although it has yet to become an official regulation.
Nonetheless, Australian airlines have already been quick in responding to the issue and decided to prevent the use of the exploding device on flights.
Three major Australian airlines, particularly Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar, have already banned the use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on their flights. Passengers are required to never turn on and/or charge the smartphone while inside the plane.
Therefore, while the use of the device has been banned, passengers can still bring their Galaxy Note 7 on their flights but are not allowed to use it, even when placed on airplane mode.
"Following Samsung Australia's recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 personal electronic device we are requesting that passengers who own them do not switch on or charge them in flight," a Qantas spokesman said to Reuters.
Customers are then looking forward to how such airline companies will deal with issues once Samsung is able to successfully address the concerns and allow the Galaxy Note 7 to return to the market. The modified units could have an identifying mark or note for them to be recognized as safe following this exploding battery flop.
After investigating the issues, Samsung found that the rechargeable batteries inside the Galaxy Note 7 devices were faulty.
In one case, a St. Petersburg family in Florida reported a Galaxy Note 7 phone that caught fire in a Jeep and eventually destroyed the vehicle after it was left charging.
According to Nathan Dornacher, his Galaxy Note 7 smartphone was being charged inside the SUV when it erupted into flames, which surrounded his vehicle. The incident occurred merely days after Samsung issued a statement stating that it will suspend the sales for Galaxy Note 7 due to exploding batteries while charging.
“Not the barbecue I wanted on my day off,” Dornacher stated in his Facebook post, posting images of his SUV caught on fire as well as burned pieces of the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy Note series has been one of the priciest lineups made available by the tech giant, with which the units resemble the features and designs found in the Galaxy S phone lineup that will soon be released.
An iris scanner was also incorporated to the Note 7, allowing the device to recognize patterns in users’ eyes as a means of unlocking the phone.
