It seems things just got a whole lot easier for the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus. Its biggest rival, Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7, has officially been recalled worldwide due to a worrying battery issue that has caused some handsets to explode.

Until just a few days ago, the Galaxy Note 7’s launch couldn’t have been more successful. The device was greeted by a torrent of rave reviews from the tech press when it first went on sale, and demand has far exceeded supply in most markets.

But things took a turn for the worse when it was discovered that some Galaxy Note 7 handsets were randomly exploding while on charge. Samsung has now confirmed that there is an issue affecting a small number of devices.

The South Korean company says that just 24 in every 1 million units is at risk of exploding, but it is now recalling every single Galaxy Note 7 sold so far to ensure that no further damage can be done.

Samsung has promised that more information regarding the recall will be distributed to each market individually. Here is the company’s full statement:

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.

We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.

The recall couldn’t have come at a more crucial time, with Apple scheduled to announce the iPhone 7 Plus — the Galaxy Note 7’s biggest rival for the next 12 months — at a keynote on Wednesday, September 7.

This will surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of many Samsung fans who will now have to return their new smartphone and wait for a new one, and it’s likely at least some of them will look elsewhere just as the iPhone 7 series is landing.

Poor Samsung.

Via: Android Authority