(Story updated on September 4, 2016, to include Globe Telecom’s public advisory on the replacement of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units. See update at the end of the article.)

This couldn’t have come at a worse time. Just when Samsung is starting to bounce back from a declining market share and its fiercest rival Apple is about to launch the iPhone 7, the Korean manufacturer announced a global recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

This comes amid reports that the battery of its current flagship smartphone can explode while charging. News of these user complaints wiped out roughly $7 billion of the company’s stock value on September 1.

One of the consumers whose Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire

In a press statement released just now, Samsung claimed that to date, only 35 of these cases have been recorded worldwide. “However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7,” it said.

And if you have already bought a Galaxy Note 7, the company will replace your phone with a new one, no questions asked. Samsung will provide further details at any time soon.

‘Only 35 of these cases have been recorded worldwide. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7,’ Samsung said. And if you have already bought a Galaxy Note 7, the company will replace your phone with a new one.

It added, “We are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries on the market.”

An unnamed Samsung executive earlier revealed to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency that the device’s batteries are made by the tech giant’s suppliers in China and Korea, but it seemed only the Korean version is affected.

The quick decision to recall even Galaxy Note 7 units without faulty batteries may prove to be a brilliant move on Samsung’s part, though. While this issue may be a blow to its sales now, it could boost customer trust, something that could benefit the world’s biggest smartphone vendor in the long run.

The quick decision to recall even Galaxy Note 7 units without faulty batteries may prove to be a brilliant move on Samsung’s part.

My additional take: A recall is not as simple as it seems. You have to factor in the nightmare of transporting products from one point to another. Goods that may already be in, say, a store near Davao City may have to be moved to the warehouse situated in the Mindanao city itself before being shipped to Metro Manila then South Korea. The dealers that bought the products from the manufacturer may have to be paid the logistics cost. Get the picture?

Now, think: Samsung has already sold 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices since the phone’s launch on August 19. Can you feel the headache that the tech giant is currently experiencing? I can only imagine.

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