Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone users who plan on traveling in the near future may have trouble communicating. In a rare move, the Federal Aviation Administration is advising passengers not to turn on or charge the company’s new Note 7 smartphone after reports of the device catching fire made the media rounds last week, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The agency is even wary about travelers keeping the Note 7 in a checked bag due to the potential for the phone to spontaneously self-immolate. The FAA’s announcement comes on the heels of three Australian airlines—Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia—banning use of the phone during flights.
Excitement for the release of the Note 7 in August was dampened after a Florida man reported the phone exploded in his Jeep, setting the vehicle ablaze. “Not the barbeque I wanted on my day off,” he posted on Facebook. Samsung has since issued a recall of the phones and has offered exchanges to customers.
[h/t Condé Nast Traveler]
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September 9, 2016 – 11:00am