WATCH: Samsung's unprecedented statement on Note 7 recall

Dubai - Note 7 phone catch fire. Company to offer replacements; move to be a very costly one.

Samsung has an explosive start to its Galaxy Note7 devices - literally.
Just as it was gaining traction, Samsung's momentum hit speed bumps in the wake of reports that its newly-launched device caught fire or exploded while charging.
Now, it's been brought to a screeching halt as the South Korean tech giant issued an unprecedented statement on the issue roiling the tech community.
Samsung's statement in full:
"Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue."
"To date [as of September 1] there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7."
"For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks."
"We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible."

The recall is certain to hand a multi-million dollar bill to Samsung.
The Galaxy Note7, which has been officially on sale for about a couple of weeks, has received some of the best critical acclaim from analysts in recent memory. But with the fire issue hounding it, it has also created one of the worst crises recently.
Damage-control is only one side of the story; the overall drama will test Samsung's mettle, especially as Apple is set to announce its latest iPhones on September 7.
Khaleej Times had tried to get a statement from Samsung Gulf as early as Thursday, but our requests were left unattended.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com