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Five months later, Samsung is finally about to kill every remaining Note 7 phone

Published Mar 26th, 2017 11:19AM EDT
Note 7 Recall Date 2016
Image: HBO

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When it was released last fall, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was the hottest Android phone the world had ever seen. Unfortunately though, the Galaxy Note 7 was literally the hottest Android phone the world had ever seen. A poor battery design caused dozens of phones to explode while being charged — and in some cases, while unplugged and in use — causing property damage and even injuring some users in the process. As a result, Samsung was forced to issue an unprecedented global recall, asking everyone around the world who purchased the phone to return or exchange it as soon as possible.

Most of the potentially destructive smartphones have been collected by now. Since the phone was so impressive, however, a small percentage of holdouts have refused to give up their precious Note 7 handsets. We’re not sure why Samsung waited as long as it did, but the company is finally taking its final step in ensuring that the Note 7 cannot do anymore damage.

According to South Korean news site Yonhap News, Samsung will take steps next week to completely disable any remaining Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that may still be in use. The company said some time ago that 97% of all Note 7 phones have been reclaimed by the company. With more than 1 million handsets sold before Samsung discontinued the phone, however, that leaves tens of thousands of Note 7 handsets still in users’ hands.

According to the report, Samsung plans to issue a mandatory software update that will completely prevent any remaining Galaxy Note 7 devices from holding a charge. As a result, the phones will no longer be able to power on unless they are plugged in. Samsung and its carrier partners issued a similar software update in the US late last year and in early 2017, and now any remaining markets where the Note 7 might still be in use will get the update.

Diehard Samsung fans who were holding onto their Note 7 phones won’t have to wait very long before their soon-to-be crippled Note 7 phones are replaced. Samsung will unveil its new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagship phones on Wednesday, and they’ll be released about a month later.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.