Samsung halts sales of all Note 7 smartphones, urges all owners to 'power down and take advantage of the remedies available'

It's official: Samsung just pulled the plug on sales of the Galaxy Note 7, following several reports that even the devices replaced in a global recall were at risk of overheating and spontaneously combusting.

In a statement, Samsung says that it "will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7" until they know more. Furthermore, Samsung urges all Note 7 owners, including those with replacement devices, to "power down and take advantage of the remedies available," like getting a refund.

Most retail stores and carriers, including AT&T and Best Buy, have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7, while also extending their refund and exchange policies to allow owners concerned about their safety to rid themselves of the smartphone.

However, this is the first time that Samsung itself has called for sales of the device to cease. Previously, Samsung had said that it was weighing the matter with authorities and deciding how to move forward.

Over the weekend, it was reported that Samsung has temporarily halted production of the Note 7, but the company's official line is that it's "adjusting" production. Notably, this announcement doesn't mean that the Note 7 is totally dead, and Samsung is currently leaving the door open to resume sales at any time.

Here's Samsung's full statement:

"We are working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers' safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place.

We remain committed to working diligently with the CPSC, carriers and our retail partners to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase. For more information, consumers should visit samsung.com/us/note7recall or contact 1-844-365-6197."