With Replacements Catching on Fire, Samsung Kills Off the Galaxy Note 7

Samsung has officially killed the Galaxy Note 7, announcing today that it's permanently ceasing production of the device.

In a short statement today, the company said, "For the benefit of consumers' safety, we stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 and have consequently decided to stop production."

Yesterday, it announced it had asked partners to halt sales and exchanges of the device while it continued investigating. In the wake of its launch in August, Samsung recalled defective Note 7s after they began overheating and--in some cases--catching on fire.

However, there have been at least five reports in the US of replacement phones catching fire. This prompted Samsung to say it was adjusting its shipping volumes for the device, though it's obviously now taking things much further by ceasing production altogether.

Prior to Samsung's announcement today, Oculus issued a mandatory update for its mobile app that disabled Gear VR support on Note 7s. This move no doubt came out of concern that one could burst into flames while strapped to a person's face. The update was first reported on Reddit and later confirmed by Android Central.

"Customer safety is Oculus' top priority," reads a message now presented to Note 7 users. "Oculus is removing support for all Note 7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note 7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR."

It's recommended that, if you have a Note 7, you keep it powered off and return it to the carrier or store where you purchased it. More details on the recall are available on Samsung's website.