<div>Samsung Electronics has suspended production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, a report said today, a month after a recall prompted by battery explosions and a day after two major overseas distributors halted replacements.<br /><br />Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, declined to comment on the report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency which was sourced to an unidentified official with an unnamed Samsung supplier.<br /><br />The official told Yonhap the decision to temporarily halt production was taken in cooperation with consumer safety regulators from South Korea, the United States and China.<br /><br />Samsung decided on September 2 to halt the sale of the Galaxy Note 7 and recall those sold after complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging.<br /><br />With images of charred phones flooding social media, the unprecedented recall was a humiliation for a firm that prides itself as an icon of innovation and quality.<br /><br />The recall process initially stumbled with some mixed messages, but seemed to be on track until last week when reports emerged of similar problems with some of the replacement phones.<br /><br />On Sunday, US telecommunications firm AT&T and German rival T-Mobile said they would halt exchanges of recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7s pending further investigations.<br /><br />AT&T said it would still offer customers the option to exchange that device for another Samsung smartphone or other device of their choice.<br /><br />T-Mobile said it was halting sales of the Galaxy Note 7, as well as the exchanges. Samsung on Friday issued a stronger-than-expected operating profit forecast for the third quarter despite the impact of the recall which, according to some analysts, could cost up to USD 2 billion. <br /></div>
<div>Samsung Electronics has suspended production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, a report said today, a month after a recall prompted by battery explosions and a day after two major overseas distributors halted replacements.<br /><br />Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, declined to comment on the report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency which was sourced to an unidentified official with an unnamed Samsung supplier.<br /><br />The official told Yonhap the decision to temporarily halt production was taken in cooperation with consumer safety regulators from South Korea, the United States and China.<br /><br />Samsung decided on September 2 to halt the sale of the Galaxy Note 7 and recall those sold after complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging.<br /><br />With images of charred phones flooding social media, the unprecedented recall was a humiliation for a firm that prides itself as an icon of innovation and quality.<br /><br />The recall process initially stumbled with some mixed messages, but seemed to be on track until last week when reports emerged of similar problems with some of the replacement phones.<br /><br />On Sunday, US telecommunications firm AT&T and German rival T-Mobile said they would halt exchanges of recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7s pending further investigations.<br /><br />AT&T said it would still offer customers the option to exchange that device for another Samsung smartphone or other device of their choice.<br /><br />T-Mobile said it was halting sales of the Galaxy Note 7, as well as the exchanges. Samsung on Friday issued a stronger-than-expected operating profit forecast for the third quarter despite the impact of the recall which, according to some analysts, could cost up to USD 2 billion. <br /></div>