Replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 burns Minn. teen

SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung's smartphone troubles continue, with reports that a Minnesota teen was burned by the replacement for her original Galaxy Note 7.

Abby Zuis, 13, of Farmington, Minn., told Minneapolis-St. Paul TV station KSTP that she felt a “weird, burning sensation” in her thumb while holding her Galaxy Note 7 Friday afternoon. The phone, which proceeded to smoke and burn, melted the protective cover.

Zuis's father, Andrew, confirmed to the station that the phone was a late-September replacement for a Galaxy Note 7 purchased new in August.

“If the new phones that are supposed to be the replacement aren't doing what it's supposed to, there's no reason my daughter or someone (has) to be injured by their phone,” he said.

Samsung's initially popular flagship had tech critics hailing it as a true challenge to Apple's iPhone. But over the past weeks, both the 2.5-million recalled original phones and some of their replacements have overheated and caught fire due to faulty batteries.

Samsung risks new recall with Note 7 as authorities probe fire

Last week, a Southwest Airlines jet had to be evacuated after a Samsung phone filled the cabin with smoke. The South Korean electronics conglomerate has been cooperating with the Consumer Product Safety Commission on the recalls, which recently also extended to some of the company's washing machines.

Samsung emailed a statement to USA TODAY confirming that the company was investigating this latest incident and that "customer safety remains our highest priority."

"We want to reassure our customers that we take every report seriously and we are engaged with the Zuis family to ensure we are doing everything we can for them and their daughter," the statement said.

Samsung's status as the global leader in Android smartphones has been further put in jeopardy by the announcement last week of new phones from Google. Called the Pixel, the two phones boast not only top specs but also serve as platforms for Google's new Daydream virtual reality service.

Apple also is likely to benefit from its competitor's problems, as the Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker is busy rolling out its upgraded iPhone 7 to consumers.

Follow USA TODAY tech reporter  Marco della Cava @marcodellacava.