Samsung Plans Small Scale Relaunch of Refurbished Note7 Phones Later This Year [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Samsung plans on selling modified versions of the troublesome Galaxy Note7 device in emerging markets later in 2017, according to Hankyung [Google Translate]. Samsung's reported intention is to minimize as much monetary loss as possible by "transforming" the returned products, refurbishing them, and reselling them in the Indian and Vietnamese markets.

The new Galaxy Note7 devices will include a low-capacity battery to get around the explosive troubles of the original devices, and could show up as soon as June 2017. The new battery capacity is said to be around 3000 to 3200 mAh, instead of the 3500 mAh of the first set of defective Note7 smartphones. In January, Samsung's official investigation concluded that the battery was the source of the Note7 fires.

Samsung claims to have recovered 98 percent of the 3.16 million Note7 units that were previously sold, and of those devices it got back, 200,000 were reportedly used in experiments that led to the identification of the battery as the source of the company's woes. Now Samsung has about 2.5 million Note7 devices left on its hands, leading to the smartphone maker's decision to modify, fix, and resell as many as possible.

Although the company hopes to further prevent loss following the Note7 recall, it has been estimated that the smartphone's recall cost Samsung $2.3 billion. To further make up for that disaster, the company has begun looking to the future and new reports suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S8, and perhaps a larger-screened Galaxy S8+, will officially be unveiled on March 29 at an event in New York City (via Ars Technica).

After that unveiling, the smartphone will go on sale on April 21. The Galaxy S8 will include a number of feature additions that are also rumored for the iPhone 8, like a bezel-free display and no home button. Following in the footsteps of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the new Samsung smartphone will lack a headphone jack as well.

Update: Samsung has spoken to Gadgets 360 claiming that the report of a refurbished Galaxy Note7 relaunch in India is false: "The report on Samsung planning to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in India is incorrect." The company specifically mentions only India in its statement, so it's unclear whether or not the modified Note7 devices might appear in other markets.

Article Link: Samsung Plans Small Scale Relaunch of Refurbished Note7 Phones Later This Year [Updated]

 

[GubbyMan]

What color are they going to use on the battery indicator this time to show that this is not a timed bomb?

 

[SethBoy]

Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twi… thrice.

 

[2010mini]

Yeah.... let's recover some money by selling ****** devices to lower income consumers. Samsung SMDH

 

[amg2014]

How is that going to help Samsung if their reputation is already tarnished? I don't think selling a refurbished Note 7 would be safe either.

 

[manu chao]

3.16 million sold, 3.1 million recovered, maybe 1+ million unsold in stock, minus 200'000 used for tests: 2.5 million available for resale as refurbished units.

 

[jdillings]

Get'em while they're hot!

 

[Nozuka]

So first they are saying, that the batteries had a production defect and it was not a design problem - even though they used two different battery suppliers and both of them had the same problem.

and now they are going to reduce the battery capacity to get around the design failure?

 

[nburwell]

Yeah.... let's recover some money by selling ****** devices to lower income consumers. Samsung SMDH

My thoughts exactly. Can you say desperate much?

 

[Nozuka]

Yeah.... let's recover some money by selling ****** devices to lower income consumers. Samsung SMDH

still better than throwing them away. at least from a ecological point of view.

 

[tann]

Would be good if they could. The note 7 was a really great device and this would mean the phones won't go to complete waste and affect the environment through tons of landfill.

If they sold them here at a decent price I'd definitely get one again.

 

[2010mini]

My thoughts exactly. Can you say desperate much?

Glad to find out this was fake.

still better than throwing them away. at least from a ecological point of view.

They could also just recycle them.

 

[cdmoore74]

This was proven false on 2/21, 3 hours after the initial report came out. Pretty irresponsible to do an article 2 days after the fact without doing proper research. On top of that it's not even Apple news.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Are airlines going to stop banning them? I know most have been deactivated remotely, but they are still banned nonetheless. If Airlines don't remove them from the list why would anyone buy one -- unless maybe they don't fly.

 

[Breaking Good]

So first they are saying, that the batteries had a production defect and it was not a design problem - even though they used two different battery suppliers and both of them had the same problem.

No. They were two different problems. The first was a design defect. The second was a manufacturing defect.

I would presume that they would re-design the battery to eliminate the original design defect and also reduce the risk of any manufacturing defect occurring again.

 

[ouimetnick]

Yeah.... let's recover some money by selling ****** devices to lower income consumers. Samsung SMDH

Kinda like how Apple sold the iPhone 4 until 2014. Although at least it didn't catch fire.

 

[smacrumon]

Glad that this story is FALSE because if it were true, it would be absolutely a terrible decision.
[doublepost=1487872113][/doublepost]

Kinda like how Apple sold the iPhone 4 until 2014. Although at least it didn't catch fire.

Apple sold refurbished iPhone 4 as new models?

 

[scott911]

Outside of the reputation management problems, this would/could have been a great idea.

Slap a half size battery in there- probably something already on the shelves as it isn't a custom fit need anymore. Maybe add a thermo fuse type thing to be extra safe, and then allow these to be distributed to third world countries.

Not a lot of macrumors readers probably realize how impossibly far from reach a device like this could be to most of the world's population. Could give families access to banking, education, etc. they could only dream of.

But the news spin (forecasted by views of many readers here) probably means Samsung would instead play to public opinion and toss them in a land fill instead.

 

[Jal217]

This story needs to be retracted not "updated"

Having an entirely false article and headline up and then writing an update saying it's false is not fixing it. Unbelievable.

 

[J InTech82]

3.16 million sold, 3.1 million recovered, maybe 1+ million unsold in stock, minus 200'000 used for tests: 2.5 million available for resale as refurbished units.

You just answered the question I was thinking lol

 

[ouimetnick]

Glad that this story is FALSE because if it were true, it would be absolutely a terrible decision.
[doublepost=1487872113][/doublepost]
Apple sold refurbished iPhone 4 as new models?

No, they sold new iPhone 4 as new. Samsung is selling refurbished units as refurbished.

 

[smacrumon]

No, they sold new iPhone 4 as new. Samsung is selling refurbished units as refurbished.

Interesting situation considering a lot of software would be requiring devices that don't support iPhone 4.

 

[cdmoore74]

This story needs to be retracted not "updated"

Having an entirely false article and headline up and then writing an update saying it's false is not fixing it. Unbelievable.

Exactly! The story was proven false 2 days ago. It should have never went live this morning in the first place.

Fake news!!!

 

[sudo1996]

Yeah, there's no way they'd do this. Sounds like a joke.

 

[44267547]

This story needs to be retracted not "updated"

Having an entirely false article and headline up and then writing an update saying it's false is not fixing it. Unbelievable.

How do you know the authors of Macrumors knew it was false to begin with? Regardless, it still counts as A rumor, which inherently doesnt have to make carry any truth on here to begin with , just like the other articles posted on here daily that hold no value in most cases. Technically, none of them have evidence of being truthful, should those be retracted too?

That doesn't mean it can't stay open for discussion and share views on the opinions to begin with. You're being overly pedantic.