Report: Samsung will soon sell refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7

midian182

Posts: 9,632   +120
Staff member

With Samsung’s mobile future now focused on the upcoming Galaxy S8 and Note 8, you might imagine that the company just wants to forget all about the Note 7. But according to the South Korean media, refurbished versions of the infamous handset may soon go on sale, though only in certain markets.

Hankyung reports that the Note 7 refurbs will feature new batteries with reduced capacities – between 3000mAh and 3200mAh rather than the original’s 3500mAh. The phone’s other core components will be reused, but the cases will be new. And they won’t explode, hopefully.

Sadly for those hoping to get their hands on a refurbished Note 7, which will doubtlessly sell at a reduced price, Samsung will only be bringing the handsets to emerging markets such as India and Vietnam. But the company is reportedly considering selling them in South Korea just before the Galaxy Note 8 launches.

The likelihood of refurbed Note 7s ever coming to the US or Europe is pretty slim – regulators may have something to say about that scenario.

The report claims the refurbs should be completed by May and the phones could go on sale sometime in June.

Samsung has said that 98 percent of the 3.06 million Note 7s that were sold have been recalled. The company still has 2.5 million of them after using around 20,000 in tests to try and discover the cause of the fires. Refurbishing and selling the phones would help Samsung recoup some of the money it lost as a result of the recalls, and, as ZDNet notes, would mean the firm avoids fines from South Korea’s environmental agency for not disposing of the Note 7s properly.

Permalink to story.

 
A shame cant come to US, id totally pay $150-200 for one; I cant imagine theyd try to get anywhere close to original price.
 
Somebody in the marketing department has their head up their butt. You NEVER and I repeat NEVER try to re-brand a product with that kind of reputation. Ever wonder why Ford no longer calls it's small station wagon a PINTO? or why Thalidomide is no longer widly advertised in the public? People have short memories UNLESS it is a significant event and the "Note 7" will live on for a very long time .... which in this current generation could be a good 30 to 45 minutes!
 
Cool, I can dust off the old note 7 again.

Glad I never returned it.
Probably not, the way I read past articles is carriers were disabling Note 7 imie's (blacklisting them) as a incentive to turn in. Unless you change your imie (which is illegal on the federal level) I think you will be out of luck. Refurbished ones will of course not be listed as blacklisted (or removed from blacklist).
 
Yep. Nothing like buying a product for cash and then being told you don't really own it, we want it back, so we can downgrade it a bit and market it elsewhere. I'm definitely shopping for an 8. What could go wrong?
 
I sure hope that they're going to wipe the devices before reselling them. This should be common sense, but these days, I wouldn't be surprised if some or even all of the phones get shipped out with their prior owners' data still intact and accessible.
 
True this is not like you bought a piece of fruit at market.

Its a piece of technology that uses other technology to operate. This ain't the 1980s boss where you been?
Recalls happen. Notifications are given. End dates for free fixes are set. Being told your car or AC or phone will no longer operate or be useable by your benevolent galactic overlords...not so much. And I've been here since well before the 80s, what other recall said 'you can't have that anymore! no one can!'
 
Back