Recall of Samsung's Galaxy Note7 caused by 'battery cell issue'

The recall of Samsung's Galaxy Note7 smartphone, after some phones reportedly exploded while charging, was caused by a "battery cell issue", the tech giant has said.

The flagship smartphone was due to go on sale on Friday in the UK after being unveiled last month, but advertising for the phone has now vanished from the websites of mobile operators.

In a statement the Korean firm said: "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."

Images and videos of burnt handsets have been posted to social media, while Samsung also confirmed it will offer free replacements to pre-order customers who have already received the phone.

"For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. For more information customers need to contact the customer service team on 0330 7261000.

"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 comes just days before rival Apple are due to unveil their next iPhone. Samsung and Apple are currently the two largest smartphone brands globally in terms of sales.