Boarding an airplane with one of Samsung's potentially explosive Note 7 smartphones is now a crime in the US. Fortunately for passengers who may not be aware that they're packing dangerous contraband, Samsung is setting up shop at airports to keep everyone out of trouble.
Samsung is setting up special exchange booths at "high traffic" airports around the world to replace passengers' Note 7 smartphones with a new and safe replacement device, according to ABC News in San Francisco.
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A German carrier Lufthansa aircraft lands at Tegel airport in Berlin
Samsung's booths can currently be found in certain airports in Australia and South Korea, with a booth reportedly being set up at San Francisco's SFO airport.
Indeed, flying with the Note 7 is now a crime in the US. Taking a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on a plane could cost you almost $180,000 and up to 10 years in prison, as the Note 7's defective battery could catch fire and cause serious damage to anything nearby, including people. As such, the Note 7 has been deemed unsafe.
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A Galaxy Note 7 after the battery caught fire.
Samsung recently halted production of the Note 7 after two recalls due to a defective battery, and the Note 7 is no longer sold from carriers or Samsung itself.
It's not clear what brand or model the replacement devices are, but ABC News reported that Samsung is able to transfer data from a Note 7 to the replacement devices at their booths. Business Insider has contacted Samsung for comment and to inquire about the brand and model of the replacement devices, and will update this story with its response.
Here's a look at one of Samsung's exchange booths:
Samsung has a team of representatives at SFO to help customers with the Note7 phone. It's banned from US flights. pic.twitter.com/2IiEcg6hsU
- Sergio Quintana (@svqjournalist) October 17, 2016