Samsung is preparing to deliver a software update to its troubled Galaxy Note7 phone to try to reduce the possibility of its battery overheating.
Earlier this month, the company announced a voluntary recall of its latest flagship, following 35 incidents in which the handset caught fire, including some in which its battery exploded. But it wasn't until Friday evening that Samsung announced that it is now working with the Consumer Safety Product Commission (CPSC), an independent US government agency, on an 'official' recall process to accelerate the pace at which defective handsets are replaced.
While early reports suggested that the Note7 may catch fire only during charging, the CPSC warned on Friday that some of the incidents - which have now grown in number to at least 70 - have taken place "during normal use". The Commission urged all owners to "power down and stop charging or using the device" without delay.
But the increase in the the number of incidents since Samsung originally announced its voluntary recall shows that some users are either unaware of the danger, or that some are perhaps ignoring it.
In an effort to reduce the number of incidents among those who have not yet returned the device for a replacement or refund, Samsung is now preparing to push a software update that will limit the handset's charging capabilities.
As Elise Hu, Asia correspondent for NPR, reported today, the update will prevent the battery on the Note7 from charging beyond 60% of capacity. It's believed that this will help reduce the possibility of the battery overheating. For now, it seems that the update will only be rolling out in Samsung's home market of Korea, and it's not yet clear if the company will make it available to the device in other markets.
However, this is intended solely as a temporary fix, and not an alternative to the recall process.
Samsung is continuing to urge Galaxy Note7 owners around the world to return their devices for replacement "as soon as possible".
Editor's note: This article originally included a reference to an incident in which a Galaxy Note7 reportedly exploded in a child's hands over the weekend. However, it has since emerged that the device involved in that incident was not a Galaxy Note7, but a Samsung Galaxy Core. The reference connecting that incident to the Galaxy Note7 was therefore removed from this article after it was published.
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