SAMSUNG is being sued by a woman who claims her Galaxy Note 9 smartphone "burst into flames".
It comes just two years after Samsung recalled an earlier Galaxy model after dozens of users reported overheating, spontaneous fires and even explosions.
Now Diane Chung says the new Note 9 model – launched earlier this year – is dangerous too.
The US real estate agent claims the £899 smartphone caught fire in her purse, according to the New York Post.
Just last month, Samsung chief DJ Koh promised that the new model definitely wouldn't explode: "The battery in the Galaxy Note 9 is safer than ever.
"Users do not have to worry about the batteries any more."
But according to Chung, that's simply not true.
She claims that just after midnight on September 3, while travelling in a lift, her phone "became extremely hot".
Chung then claims to have stopped using the phone, and placed it in her bag.
Shortly after, she said she "heard a whistling and screeching sound, and...noticed thick smoke" pouring out from her purse.
Samsung suspend Galaxy Note 7 sales after multiple battery explosionsAccording to Chung, she put the bag on the lift floor and tried to empty it, allegedly burning her fingers when grabbing the phone.
Chung reported feeling "extremely panicked" while trapped alone in the lift, dropping the phone and frantically pressing elevator buttons through thick smoke.
Once the worried Samsung customer reached the lobby, she reportedly kicked the phone out – while it was still burning.
In the lawsuit, which was filed with the Queens Supreme Court, Chung claims that the phone didn't stop smoking until someone picked it up with a cloth and put it in a bucket of water.
Chung described the incident as "traumatic", saying she was left unable to contact clients – and with the contents of her bag ruined.
Now Chung is demanding damages from Samsung, calling the phone "defective" and asking for a restraining order that bans the sale of Galaxy Note 9 smartphones.
In a statement given to The Sun, a Samsung spokesperson acknowledged the incident, but said it appeared to be an isolated case.
The spokesperson said: "Samsung takes customer safety very seriously and we stand behind the quality of the millions of Galaxy devices in use.
"We have not received any reports of similar incidents involving a Galaxy Note 9 device and we are investigating the matter."
The infamous Galaxy Note 7 was recalled just weeks after launching in 2016, after the phone began spontaneously catching fire for some users.
A Samsung investigation eventually revealed that there was a major battery fault that caused the overheating issue.
The phone was culled, and Samsung's Galaxy Note brand was forever tainted by the blunder.
Car destroyed by exploding Samsung Note 7It turned out that Samsung's pricey blower had several design flaws.
The electrodes on the top-right of the battery were susceptible to bending, and some batteries were missing insulation tape.
Samsung eventually remotely throttled some devices through a software update, and attempted to recall all units.
The situation got so bad that aviation officials and airlines began banning the phone from being turned on during flights.
Following the incident, Samsung rolled out a brand new battery safety check system for building its phones.
"We've re-assessed every step of the smartphone manufacturing process and developed our 8-Point Battery Safety Check," Samsung explained.
"It involves putting out batteries through extreme testing, inside and out, followed by careful inspection by X-ray and the human eye to ensure highest quality.
"This is our commitment to safer devices now and in the future."
The move seemed to have worked, with last year's Galaxy Note 8 smartphone released without a hitch.
"We learned from the Galaxy Note 7 issues and have made changes as a result," a Samsung blog post explained.
"From re-assessing every step of our smartphone manufacturing process to redesigning out quality assurance program, we are committed to implementing every learning to ensure quality and safety going forward."
MOST READ IN TECH
Check out the moment a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire in Burger KingBut Samsung made a significant change with this year's Galaxy Note 9.
The company added in a huge 4,000mAh battery, which is the highest-capacity cell ever included in a Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone.
For contrast, the size of Apple's iPhone 8 battery is just 1,821mAh – less than half the Note 9's cell capacity.
Have you experienced any issues with the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9? Let us know in the comments!
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