It’s July 7th, which means the “safe” Galaxy Note 7 version that won’t explode is finally available for purchase, for some people.
A few days after Samsung confirmed the Galaxy Note FE’s release date, the refurbished Note went on sale on today in Korea, where it’s priced at around $600, or 30% cheaper than the original model.
The Galaxy Note FE is essentially the same Galaxy Note 7 you’ve grown to love when it comes to design and hardware. The only things that changed when it comes to specs are the battery size and processor type.
The Galaxy Note FE sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip like the one found inside the Google Pixel — that’s an upgrade from the Snapdragon 820 that shipped with the original Galaxy Note 7 version.
The most important modification concerns the battery. Just as rumored, we’re looking at a 3,200 mAh battery instead of the 3,500 mAh battery that tended to go up in flames. The phone can be taken on planes, Yonhap News claims.
On the software side, there’s one notable change: the Bixby voice assistant is preloaded on the phone.
If that sounds like a great deal, especially considering that $600 price point, then you’d be right. But only if you still fancy 2016 phones. And only if you’re able to travel to South Korea to grab one. That’s the only market where the refurbished Galaxy Note FE is selling right now, and Samsung only has some 400,000 units on hand. Better find a way to order one soon.
Or, you could always wait for the Galaxy Note 8 to arrive, which should be a lot more exciting than last year’s Samsung phablet.
