Samsung has delayed shipments of its new Galaxy Note 7 phone after reports that batteries in the devices were overheating, causing them to catch fire and explode.
The delay, which threatens to halt the South Korean company’s recent upturn in fortunes, sent Samsung’s shares falling by 2pc on Thursday.
Several owners of the £750 device reported that it had spontaneously burst into flames when charging.
The company said it had halted shipments to three operators in South Korea, and did not say whether other markets had been affected.
Faults with the new flagship device could deal a major blow to the tech giant, which was counting on the Galaxy Note 7 to maintain its strong mobile earnings momentum against Apple’s new iPhones, expected to be unveiled next week.
Video of an exploding battery below: