Electronics company Samsung has confirmed two incidents of their newly-released smartphone exploding in Australia in recent days, including a case in Perth on Monday where a man’s phone exploded as he slept in his hotel room.
The damage has caused $1800 in damages to the man’s hotel room after it exploded into flames as he slept.
The Galaxy Note7 smartphone has been recalled around the world after safety concerns emerged about the battery causing fires while the phone was plugged in to charge.
More than 50,000 of the phones will be recalled in Australia.
Victorian man Tham Hua, who was visiting Perth on a business trip, said he plugged in the smartphone to charge before he slept, resting it on his hotel mattress.
He woke up to a loud pop and a hissing sound and watched as the phone caught on fire.
The explosion caused more than $1800 damage to the room – a cost Mr Hua said in posts on Reddit that Samsung Australia had agreed to cover.
“Samsung Electronics Australia advises all customers who use a Galaxy Note7 smartphone to power down their device, return it to its place of purchase and use an alternative device until a remedy can be provided,” Samsung said in a statement on Monday.
“Customers who have purchased a Galaxy Note7 from Samsung are entitled to choose a new Galaxy Note7 (and a courtesy device until replacement Galaxy Note7 stock arrives) or a full refund.”