Samsung formally recalls Note 7, replacements arrive September 21

Samsung has finally issued a real, honest-to-goodness recall of the Galaxy Note 7 with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission after continued reports of the handset catching fire.

That means the recall is no longer a voluntary option for retailers; it’s now straight up illegal to sell old versions of the device. The agency also advises that users stop using their devices and turn them off.

Samsung has been under fire (too soon?) for beginning its US recall without formal approval from the US government, leading many owners to keep their devices. Other than making it illegal to sell the old devices, it’s not clear what steps are being taken to prevent the device’s usage in the wild.

Any device sold before today, September 15, is subject to the recall, everything after should be fine. Replacement units will be available “no later than September 21” at carriers and retailers.

Consumers affected can check if their Note 7 is safe by following our guide here.  Short version: enter your IMEI or serial number at samsung.com/us/note7recall.

No word on if new devices will feature the blue ‘S’ seen in Australia; given that inputting a 15 digit number onto a website isn’t exactly convenient, simple visual confirmation would be nice.

Hopefully we can finally put an end to this ordeal for unfortunate ordeal for what was originally had been lauded as the best phone out there.

Update: Samsung America has issues a video apology by President and COO Tim Baxter with more information about the recall and assuring customers that the new batteries have been independently tested to be safe. You can watch it here.