Samsung Galaxy Note7 Recall Officially Issued

Samsung issued a formal recall Thursday for around 1 million Galaxy Note7 phones, some of which have caught fire in people's hands and pockets and destroyed cars and other property because of an overheated battery, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday.

"The lithium-ion battery in the Galaxy Note7 smartphones can overheat and catch fire, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers," the commission's official recall notice said. Samsung and the CPSC had warned people to stop using the phones, but hadn't issued a government-mandated recall.

Thursday's recall notice said people who bought the phones should stop using them immediately and power them down. They should also return the phones to their phone company, to the store where they bought it or to Samsung itself, the notice said.

The CPSC said Samsung has received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the United States, which includes 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage. In one dramatic instance, a family in St. Petersburg, Florida, had their Jeep totally destroyed after the phone caught fire and engulfed the vehicle in flames.

The FAA has mandated that people keep their Note 7s turned off and unplugged during flights.

Major phone providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have stopped selling the phones and have announced plans for replacements.

T-Mobile has said it will offer full refunds or let customers switch to a new device. Customers can also choose to be informed of when new Note 7 devices become available. Sprint said it will allow customers to use the Note 7 and exchange it for a new model when it is available, exchange the device for another Samsung phone or any other Sprint device. The company said it will reimburse any price differences and waive any restocking and shipping fee.

Verizon said it would be waiving its restocking fee for customers who want to return or exchange the Note 7 until Sept. 30. AT&T will let users trade in the Note 7 for a separate Samsung phone or any other smartphone. AT&T customers can keep the new device or trade it in later for a new Note 7.

This is a developing story and will be updated.