Samsung has finally cleared the air when it comes to the Galaxy Note 7 catastrophe… but the company still has a massive pileup of unused Galaxy Note 7 phones on its hands. Is it possible that Samsung is seriously considering reviving the phone?
We know the batteries were to blame for the explosions, according to Samsung’s extensive presentation — though factors like design, production, and quality assurance also led to the Galaxy Note 7 incidents. Samsung, however, made it pretty clear that important Galaxy Note 7 features like the iris scanner, waterproof design, and the USB-C port were not to blame for the explosions. The company also said that the software wasn’t to blame for battery overheating.
Are these indications that Samsung wants to repair the phone and sell a refurbished version of the Galaxy Note 7?
A Reuters report says Samsung has recovered 96% of 3.06 million Galaxy Note 7 units. Not including the phones that exploded while in actual use, and the more than 200,000 units it tested during the investigation, that still leaves a healthy amount of phablets that could be repaired and sent back to stores.
Reuters notes that Samsung said later on Monday that it has not decided whether to reuse parts in the recovered Note 7s or resell any recalled phones. It looks like reselling the Galaxy Note 7 as refurbished phones is still an option for Samsung, according to a person familiar with the matter. The report echoes a previous rumor that said Samsung might want to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 handsets once the dust finally settles.
It might make some sense for the company. After all, only the battery needs to be redesigned and replaced, according to Samsung’s findings. And there are millions of Galaxy Note 7 fans who might consider getting the handset if refurbs were to be sold at a deep discount.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S8 is soon going to launch, and Samsung probably doesn’t want a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 to steal any of its thunder.
