Samsung has reportedly stopped production of its Note 7 phone amid claims that replacement devices still have critical battery issues, said a BBC report.

Reuters and South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited unnamed officials claiming the company had temporarily halted its Note 7 production lines, it said.

Samsung told the BBC it could not confirm or deny reports that it had stopped production. The move came as two US networks stopped replacing or selling the phone.

Samsung issued a recall of the smartphone in September and assured customers last month that the fixed devices were safe. But there have now been several reports of phones that have been replaced and deemed safe starting to emit smoke.