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SEOUL—Samsung Electronics Co., grappling with a massive recall of its premium Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, said it is looking into consumer complaints in the U.S. and its home market that some of its replacement phones are overheating.

In several cases reported in the U.S. and in South Korea, consumers who received a replacement smartphone said that the new device was too hot to place next to the ear during a phone call. In one of the cases, Samsung has promised to replace the consumer's replacement device.

"There have been a few reports about the battery charging levels and we would like to reassure everyone that the issue does not pose a safety concern," the South Korean giant said in a statement Wednesday, adding that the replacements are operating normally. "In normal conditions, all smartphones may experience temperature fluctuations."

Samsung acknowledged the complaints and said it was working to resolve individual cases through its customer service and warranty process. Samsung recalled 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices in 10 countries on Sept. 2, citing a battery fault after incidents of the phones catching fire.

Samsung says that more than 60% of the devices that were sold in the U.S. and in its home market of South Korea have been exchanged through the program. About 90% of consumers chose to receive a new Galaxy Note 7 rather than seek a refund or exchange their phone for another model, the company said.

Gary Sevounts, a 47-year-old chief marketing officer of Milpitas, Calif.-based technology company Aryaka Networks Inc., told The Wall Street Journal that he picked up a replacement phone at his local AT&T Inc. store last Wednesday, when Samsung began distributing fixed Galaxy Note 7s in the U.S.

Almost immediately, Mr. Sevounts said, he noticed that the new device was running very hot, and while using the phone for an international Skype call, the phone shut down.

Mr. Sevounts said he called Samsung's hotline to complain and was told to immediately power down his new device and send it to the company for inspection. Mr. Sevounts said he will hang onto the replacement phone and hope that the problems go away.

"I'm surprised to see these issues persevering," he said in an interview, while praising Samsung's initial recall for being proactive and quick.

In Los Angeles, 50-year-old Kim Gordon, a financial-industry recruiter, said in an interview that her replacement Galaxy Note 7's screen became so hot that she found it uncomfortable to speak into it.

This week, Ms. Gordon called the company's U.S. support hotline and said she was promised a new device by a Samsung representative.

Samsung said it is working to resolve individual issues.

Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 28, 2016 11:25 ET (15:25 GMT)

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