The Federal Aviation Administration has officially banned passengers from using their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones while on planes. This decision comes one day after the US government issued a formal recall of the device.
Samsung with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is tasked with promoting the safety of consumer products, developing uniform safety standards, and conducting research into product-related illness and injury, are trying to get US consumers to return their Note 7 devices, but according to The Verge, only 130,000 units have been exchanged so far.
The CPSC revealed Thursday that about one million devices have been affected by the recall, meaning 90 percent of the them are still floating around, even though they might explode at any moment due to a battery malfunction. It's therefore no surprise that the FAA, which last week strongly advised airline passengers from using the Note 7, has banned use of the device during flight.
"Passengers may not turn on or charge the devices when they carry them on board a plane," said the FAA in a statement. "Passengers must also protect the devices from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and must not pack them in checked luggage."
The CPSC said Samsung has received 92 reports of the batteries overheating in the US, 55 of which involved property damage such as fires in cars and garages. Fortunately, most US retail locations should be able to offer consumers replacement Note 7 phones beginning 21 September.
Pocket-lint has a guide with more information about the recall, which includes details on how this saga began.