By The Associated Press

A visitor passes by an advertisement of the Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at its shop in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016. Samsung says it is halting sales of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after a spate of fires involving new devices that were supposed to be safe replacements for recalled models. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Lee Jin-man)
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Samsung says it is halting sales of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after a spate of fires involving new devices that were supposed to be safe replacements for recalled models.
Samsung Canada issued a statement late Monday asking all retail outlets to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place.
The company, based in Mississauga, Ont., says Canadian consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device.
The electronics firm says further details, including a full refund at place of purchase, will be announced shortly.
For more information, Canadian consumers can contact 1-800-SAMSUNG.
South Korean safety authorities, meanwhile, say they found a possible new product defect in the new Note 7 that may not be related to its batteries.
One of the safety officials said they have no idea when they could identify what caused the newer Note 7 smartphones to catch fire.
Last month, Samsung said a tiny manufacturing error in the battery was to be blamed for fire.
— with files from The Associated Press