If you own a Samsung Note 7, it's time to get a new phone

Update: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been recalled due to multiple reports indicating that the phone can spontaneously catch fire or begin smoking. If you own a Note 7 you should power it down and return it to the manufacturer or your carrier as soon as possible.**

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 saga took another rough turn over the weekend as numerous reports indicated that several phones that had already been replaced by Samsung were also catching fire, and in some cases causing injuries. There are already reports that Samsung is halting production on the phone, at least temporarily, until a long-term fix can be found.

But even if this defect is quickly identified and resolved, enough is enough: it's time for Samsung to move on from the Galaxy Note 7. And for people who have bought a Note 7, there's one solution: contact your carrier or Samsung and get a different phone. All carriers should be honoring these requests currently, so I'd reach out and do so now.

Sitting on my couch last night with a Note 7 in my hand, I quickly found myself in the same position as millions of Samsung's customers: reading scattered online reports and wondering what I should do. Do I avoid plugging it in? Just shut this thing off entirely? I ultimately took the safest route: I powered off my Note 7 and dug out an old phone (A Galaxy Note 2, oddly enough), and used that until I could get a new phone.

And while I understand that the risk of my phone catch fire is vanishingly thin, it's just not a risk I'm willing to take. Not when my daughter sleeps 30 feet from where I keep my phone plugged in. Even if it's a minor inconvenience, it's just not worth it.

And that's the approach Samsung should take. Even if the risk is tiny, and even if the Note 7 isn't actually any more dangerous than other phones, the damage is done. Or at least, it should be.

At this point, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 saga has been a painful one for the company. It has damaged Samsung's reputation, and it will certainly affect the company's bottom line. More importantly, some customers have been injured, and hopefully Samsung will do right by them. But in the grim history of consumer product recalls, the Note 7 is nowhere near the level of Firestone, or the Pinto, or even IKEA.

I don't bring that up to minimize the problem, but to highlight the fact that Samsung still has time to make this right. In the meantime, Note 7 customers shouldn't wait any longer. If your carrier is offering to exchange your Note 7 for something else, we recommend you do that. I'd even recommend the Samsung S7 or S7 Edge, both of which are just as good and have been in the market for months without issues.

No matter which phone you choose, it's clear: it's time to get a new phone.