What to do with your possibly explosive Galaxy Note7

UPDATED Sept. 2 at 5:16 p.m. ET with comment from Samsung.

If you have a Galaxy Note7 and haven't heard about its big problem yet – put the possibly explosive device down.

Samsung halted new shipments of the device Friday amid reports of exploding batteries. Late in the afternoon, the company said customers will be able to exchange their Note7s for a replacement device.

"Samsung is taking a proactive approach to address customer needs around the Note7," said Tim Baxter, the president of Samsung Electronics America, in a statement.

Affected customers can exchange their phones for a new Note7 beginning next week, or sub them out now for a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge -- two smaller devices from earlier this year.

Samsung said a refund will be given for any price difference between devices and added that customers will receive a $25 gift card to select carrier retail outlets -- your local Verizon store, for example.

To exchange your phone, visit the location where you bought the device or call 1-800-SAMSUNG.

Earlier Friday, the South Korean tech giant gave a statement to Mashable, claiming that the problem was a battery cell issue.

In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

Meanwhile, carriers offered their own solutions to customers.

Verizon Wireless

From their website:

Because customer safety is our top priority, Verizon has stopped selling the Galaxy Note7. Additionally, through September 30, 2016, Verizon is waiving the restocking fee for any customers who purchased a Galaxy Note7 and wish to return or exchange it.

Sprint

From their website:

Sprint has suspended sales of Samsung Galaxy Note7 immediately following Samsung’s announcement to discontinue sales of the device globally.   We are working closely with Samsung to ensure those customers who already have purchased the device are taken care of. For those customers that previously purchased the Note 7 we will offer them a similar device until the issue is resolved. Customers should go to a nearby Sprint store to exchange their Note 7 device.

T-Mobile

From their website:

Starting immediately, customers who are concerned about using the Note 7 can return the device to T-Mobile for a full, complete refund. They’ll get a full refund of anything paid for the device and any Note7 accessories. We’ll waive any restocking charges and shipping fees, and customers can keep the free Netflix subscription they received with purchase during pre-order. 

Customers can visit their local T-Mobile store where they bought the device or call 611 or 1-800-937-8997 to do this, and they can then use their refund to choose a similar device or any device in T-Moble’s stores, including a new Note7 replacement which we expect to be available in the next two weeks.

AT&T

From their website:

Samsung has notified us that they have identified a battery cell issue in certain Galaxy Note7s. They have asked all retailers, including AT&T, to stop selling the device. We are in the process of determining the exchange process for our customers and how they can replace their current Note7 as quickly as possible. We will have more information later today.