Samsung China to recall 1,858 Galaxy Note 7 smartphones

Beijing: China`s quality watchdog said on Wednesday Samsung Electronics Co Ltd`s local unit will recall 1,858 units of its Galaxy Note 7 phones, after the Korean firm`s product was found to have fire-prone batteries.

Samsung first halted sales earlier this month of the Note 7 in 10 markets, including South Korea and the United States, but not in China where it said the model was equipped with batteries from a different supplier.

The recalled phones were partly sold in China through an official Samsung website before the Sept. 1 launch, as part of a testing scheme, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website.

Samsung, the world`s biggest smartphone maker, has urged users of the Galaxy Note 7 to turn them in, and has run advertisements in Korea apologising for the recall.

A series of warnings from regulators and airlines around the world has raised fears for the future of the flagship device, pushing Samsung shares lower.

Also on Wednesday, China`s civil aviation authority said it will outlaw the use and charging of the Galaxy Note 7 on flights, and not allow them to be placed in checked-in baggage.