Sale of affected Samsung Note 7 illegal with formal recall in US

New York

NOW that Samsung Electronics Co's recall of the explosion-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is official in the US, the company can start focusing on the tough job of restoring public trust.

Samsung unveiled a global replacement programme for the big-screen device two weeks ago, but the formal recall on Thursday by US safety regulators is more involved because it makes the sale of affected devices illegal and sets other guidelines. With that hurdle out of the way and replacement phones set to start shipping within days, the Suwon, South Korea-based company now needs to manage the fallout.

"Now comes the hard part of restoring confidence of consumers and investors," said Kim Sang-Jo, economics professor at Hansung U…