Mar 29, 2017 12:36 PM EDT
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is not totally dead. Despite its forgettable roadmap, Samsung plans to sell refurbished units later this year if it passes through the proper process. This will include consultation with regulatory authorities and carriers in areas where the Korean company plans to distribute them.
Speaking of regions, at least one region is not expected to offer the refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 – the United States. Despite Samsung’s seemingly logical intent of disposing of the failed phablet to minimize its environmental impact, the presumption of most is that the Korean company may have already tried to talk to the U.S. and failed according to a report from CNet reported.
The plan to rent or sell refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units come a bit of a surprise with most under the impression that the Korean company plans to rid the market of them. As mentioned in a previous post, there was that new update reportedly coming out which would deny any existing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owner the ability to recharge the phablet.
It is likely that these refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices will be re-programmed with a new Android operating system that would bypass the planned patch. Just the same, worries on how safe they could be will haunt folks who even consider renting or buying the troublesome phablet.
The surprise announcement concerning the refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 comes two days before the debut of another flagship in the Samsung Galaxy S8, Phone Arena reported. The move seems a bit odd considering the latest Galaxy S8 boasts of a larger display and more powerful specs. Aside from the environmental impact angle, Samsung could be trying to pad its losses considering the company has lost big. According to Reuters, losses could rise as high as $17 billion after it halted sales on the fatal Phablet.