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Johannesburg - The Samsung Note 7 device is still coming to SA despite an explosion on a plane in the US.
The new version of the Note 7 device, which is deemed safe by Samsung, exploded on board a plane on Wednesday, this after numerous airlines around the world – including South African Airways (SAA) – banned the device.
READ: SAA bans charging of 'exploding' Samsung Note 7
Reuters reported that the plane, while still on the runway, was destined from Louisiana to Baltimore, when the device began emitting smoke, prompting an evacuation by staff and passengers.
No injuries were reported.
READ: Replacement Samsung phone sparks evacuation after device catches fire
Meanwhile, Samsung South Africa announced on Wednesday that the Note 7 would arrive in South Africa on November 11.
READ: Controversial Samsung Note 7 still coming to SA
“These devices are completely safe to use and present no battery cell issues,” said Craige Fleischer, director at Samsung South Africa.
The Note 7 has become one of the most controversial smartphones ever made after it was marred by reports of exploding batteries around the world. Damage has been done to cars, buildings and now even possibly planes.
Samsung has blamed the fault on a minor battery issue.
Samsung South Africa had initially halted all pre-orders of the Note 7 in the country and changed the availability date of the device in country, amid 35 cases of faulty devices as reported by the company.
Samsung South Africa said in a statement: “To assist users in putting their minds at ease to enjoy their Galaxy Note7 with complete confidence, Samsung has implemented three specific software changes affecting the battery indication.”
"The new Galaxy Note7 features a green battery icon that’s visible on the status bar, the always on display screen and the power off prompt screen — accessed by long-pressing the power key.
"Additionally, users can easily verify that they’re using the latest Galaxy Note7 by looking for a square symbol on the label of the phone’s packaging,” the statement went further to say.
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