Samsung to Sell Refurbished Note7 Phones 'to Minimize Environmental Impact' of Recall

[MacLawyer]

Samsung announced on Monday that it will sell refurbished versions of its Galaxy Note7 smartphones, the model it officially discontinued last year because of fire-prone batteries.

Samsung's Note 7 devices were permanently scrapped in October and recalled globally, after multiple reports of some phones self-combusting. A highly publicized in-depth investigation by the company discovered that batteries supplied by two different companies were to blame. No other faults were discovered in the components or parts.

The news surprised some analysts, coming just days before Samsung officially announces its Galaxy S8, which is generally regarded as the firm's comeback mobile device and "iPhone 8" rival. Samsung said the refurbished Note7 phones will be equipped with new batteries that have gone through new safety checks.

The move should allow Samsung to recoup some of the $2.3 billion in losses it suffered because of the ill-fated phone, but the company told The Verge that the main objective of introducing the refurbished devices was "solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact".

Last month, Greenpeace protestors interrupted the company's Mobile World Congress keynote and demanded to know what the company's plans were for its 4.3 million recalled devices, so it's possible Samsung's latest announcement is timed to avoid a repeat incident overshadowing its S8 launch on Wednesday. "Samsung's announcement is the first step to show its effort to set a new path for recycling smartphones starting with Note 7s," Greenpeace wrote in a blog post.

Samsung told Reuters the company has not set specifics on refurbished sales plans, including which markets they will be sold in and when they will go on sale. However, it noted that the phones will not be sold in India, as some media mistakenly reported earlier this year.

Article Link: Samsung to Sell Refurbished Note7 Phones 'to Minimize Environmental Impact' of Recall

[doublepost=1490724713][/doublepost]They should start the sale on July 4th.

 

[justperry]

[doublepost=1490724713][/doublepost]They should start the sale on July 4th.

No, April 1st.

 

[wxman2003]

Samsung is having a Fire Sale!!!

 

[vpro]

Pfft, pullllleeeeezzzzzzzz, environmental shhhviiiiaaaamental. What ever! If it's environmental they would have dealt with it, not start to resell it, in the 3 R's of recycling there isn't the option of resell, especially something that's had a track record of blowing up and catching fire! But this is the sort of stupidity you reach once your company reaches great heights as multi-nationals. Typical. Laughable to say the least.

 

[Penquin79]

What a bunch of BS, lessen environmental impact my backside! Exactly where do they think the sold phones will all end up when they are no longer useful? In everyone's sock drawer for ten years? And the most toxic environmental part is the defective batteries that they have to replace anyway. Who is fooling whom?

 

[tennisproha]

main objective of introducing the refurbished devices was "solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact"

Read: We just wanna get these off our hands b/c we aren't gonna spend any more money to recycle them properly.

 

[Pamela5]

Environmental impact... Yeah okay, that's spin talk for samsung wants to make whatever money they can back for the note 7. I understand wanting to make money back but don't lie as if we don't know any better.

 

[The Game 161]

Umm ok....

I doubt any of those phones were modified.

They wouldn't resell if they aren't

 

[charleswhalley]

Let's not worry to much. Just one or two more exploding Note 7's - old or newly refurbished and Samsung's phone business will go up in smoke with it!!