Will There Be Another Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall? It's Possible, But Not Confirmed

It hasn't been an easy few months for Samsung. The company's PR nightmare started in September, when it issued a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7s due to faulty batteries causing the phone to overheat and sometimes even explode. Now, reports of a newer, supposedly fixed version of the phone exploding are causing customers to be wary. There may be a second recall of the Note 7, but Samsung has not confirmed it yet, according to The Verge. The company did not respond to Romper's request for comment.

On Wednesday, a Southwest Airlines flight from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated because a passenger's Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started smoking. The phone's owner said after he dropped it on the plane floor, he saw that it had burned through the carpet and the subfloor of the place. Although no injuries were reported, the incident is still very troubling. That's because the phone was supposed to be a replacement to the previously recalled Note 7.

In response to the Southwest incident, Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman Elliott Kaye wrote in an email to TechnoBuffalo that though the commission is still investigating, Kaye recommends that customers heed the recall warning for their smartphones:

"I want to reiterate my call for consumers who have the recalled Galaxy Note 7 to keep their smartphones powered down and to immediately take advantage of the remedies being offered by Samsung.”

The recall applied to phones bought before September 15, but the passenger said he bought this phone on September 21. The packaging showed symbols that confirmed it was a fixed replacement version of the phone. Southwest has since begun informing passengers at the beginning of each flight to turn off their Galaxy Note 7s before takeoff.

The Verge also reported that running the phone's serial number through Samsung's online recall eligibility checker returns a message that says the phone is not affected by the recall. Possibly explanations seem to be that it should have been included in the recall, or the company needs to issue an additional recall.

In a statement to Engadget on Wednesday, Samsung said it was investigating the incident:

"Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note 7. We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause. Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share."

After initial complaints from 35 customers that their Note 7s caught fire while charging, Samsung issued the recall in September, according to CNN Money. Some businesses like Verizon, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon have stopped selling the phone. Samsung has offered free replacements or full refunds to customers.

However, with this new report, it's not clear whether that will be good enough. Until we find out, it might be best to keep your Note 7s out of your pockets and make sure it's not one of the phones the company has already recalled.