U.S. regulators issue recall of Samsung’s Note 7

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. safety regulators announced a formal recall of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone Thursday after a spate of fires led to injuries and property damage and created a global marketing headache.

Samsung had already initiated a voluntary recall, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped in to coordinate.

Samsung sold about 2.5 million of its top-line smartphone, including about 1 million in the United States. Mr. Kaye said the South Korean company has now agreed to offer consumers the choice of a full refund or a replacement device. Before, Samsung was offering replacements only.

The recall comes as Samsung is locked in a fierce battle with Apple for the attentions of high-end smartphone purchasers. Apple just introduced the latest versions of its iPhone, which go on sale today. Samsung had beaten Apple to market with the Note 7 by several weeks, and it was drawing favorable reviews before consumers began reporting problems with the battery overheating, resulting in fires and explosions.

One family in St. Petersburg, Fla., reported that a Galaxy Note 7 left charging in their Jeep had caught fire, destroying the vehicle.

But if that were not bad enough, the wife of the car’s owner told ABC that the smartphone was a Galaxy S7 — a separate smartphone that has been on the market since March — which, if confirmed, would seem to worsen Samsung’s problems.

Samsung’s recall may stem from a subtle manufacturing error, but it highlights the challenge electronics makers face in packing ever more battery power into ever thinner phones, while rushing for faster release dates.