Samsung is ending production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone permanently due to the company’s deepening recall crisis.
READ MORE: Samsung halts sales of Galaxy Note 7 after new safety concerns
In a regulatory filing Tuesday, the South Korean smartphone maker said it made the decision to stop manufacturing the Note 7 smartphones for the sake of consumer safety.
WATCH: Analyst calls halt of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 a ‘disaster’ for tech giant
The Galaxy Note 7 was first recalled at the beginning of September after reports of the gadget’s battery exploding or catching fire. Concerns over safety prompted major airlines to ban passengers from using the devices on planes. Samsung Canada officially recalled the device in Canada on Sept. 12 and urged consumers to exchange it for a replacement device.
READ MORE: Canadian Samsung Galaxy Note 7 customers frustrated by recall
Although Samsung said the replacement Note 7s were made with batteries that were not vulnerable to overheating or catching fire, there were several reports of replacement devices also smoking or catching fire – including one incident on board a Southwest Airlines flight in the U.S.
The company previously noted that more than one million replacement devices were in use worldwide.
WATCH: Passenger’s Samsung Galaxy Note 7 forces plane evacuation after replacement phone begins smoking
While authorities are still investigating why the so-called “safer” replacement phones are catching fire, an official at a South Korean safety company told the Associated Press that the replacement phones may have a defect that is different from the problem with the original Note 7s.
According to Business Insider, there have been at least five reports in the U.S. of replacement Note 7s catching fire. In one case, a replacement phone began melting while a 13-year-old girl was holding it, according to 5 Eyewitness News.
“We thought we were safe with the new phone,” the girl said.
Samsung Canada issued a statement late Monday asking all retail outlets to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place.
Canadian consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7, or a replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power it down immediately and stop using the device.
WATCH: Exploding Galaxy Note 7 allegedly burns Brooklyn boy
The company said details regarding full refunds will be announced shortly. In the meantime, Canadian customers can contact Samsung customer support for more information by calling 1-800-SAMSUNG.
WATCH: Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it is ending production of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones permanently, a day after it halted global sales of the star-crossed devices. The South Korean company said in a regulatory filing that it decided to stop manufacturing Note 7s for the sake of consumer safety. Hena Daniels reports.
– With files from The Associated Press
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