S Korea orders more checks on Galaxy Note 7 batteries

Authorities say that includes 1m in the US. That offer was jointly announced with officials at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission after Samsung was criticized for not coordinating more closely with the commission. Still, usage among those who own the phone had remained the same since the day of the recall as of September 13, according to data from Apteligent.

Samsung also said it's pushing out two software updates through wireless carriers.

Consumers waiting for their Samsung Galaxy Note7 replacement need not wait any longer. The company says it's continuing to reach out via social media, direct contact, and other means to get the word out.

Samsung promised replacement devices, but that was put on hold while regulators reviewed the situation.

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, the government agency responsible for product safety and recalls, has not approved Samsung's smartphone recall plan because its measures on how to remove Note 7s already in the market were inadequate, Nam Taek-joo, the agency official, said by phone Thursday.

The disjointed recall might add to the damage done to Samsung's reputation by the defective smartphones. However, the FAA revised its warning and stated that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 users should also protect the unit's power button to prevent unintentional activation, CNN reported.

Samsung started selling the Note 7 in South Korea on August 19, but halted sales and conducted a global recall earlier this month following reports of some of the devices catching fire while charging.

If your phone is among those recalled (and pretty much every phone sold before September 15, 2016 is) you have a few options. Samsung traces the issue to a battery cell problem and next thing you know, new owners are being asked to stop using their phones until further notice.

The product safety agency said Samsung had also agreed to send text messages to individual Note 7 users who still have not exchanged their possible unsafe phones for new ones.

The recall comes as Samsung is locked in a fierce battle with Apple for the attentions of high-end smartphone buyers. Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will go on sale in India on the same day. The Note series is one of Samsung's most expensive and demand for the phone had been high.