By now, if you’re still using the Galaxy Note 7 it can’t be because you haven’t heard about the phablet’s widely publicised problems.
The exploding handset was at the centre of a large controversy last year after handsets began spontaneously combusting, with some even going up in flames onboard planes.
After a global recall of the phone, the resulting fallout cost Samsung a hefty financial price, not to mention the damage done to the company’s reputation – something many are expecting to be mitigated by the upcoming release of the Galaxy S8.
Related: Galaxy Note 8 – What we want to see
In other words, there’s no way any Note 7 owner could be unaware of their phone’s explosive tendencies after the publicity the whole debacle garnered.
But, there’s obviously a few obstinate Note 7 adherents that refuse to give up their beloved devices following the global recall, and Sammy’s had enough.
The South Korean firm has announced it will release a new Note 7 software update by the end of the month which will prevent the battery from being charged (via).
The Note 7
That means, anyone yet to return their Note 7 will only be able to use the phone if it’s plugged into a wall socket, come the end of March.
Samsung says it’s managed to retrieve almost 97% of units sold in South Korea, and it looks like this software update may only be introduced in that country.
Elsewhere, the firm has already released similar software updates which limit battery charging on the Note 7, as was the case with US carrier Verizon.
In January, Samsung held a dedicated press conference to detail the reasons behind the Note 7 issues, pinning the blame on the batteries – as many had suspected it would.
Having tested more than 20,000 Note 7 devices and 300,000 batteries, Samsung found two separate battery issues were behind the faults.
Despite the problems, the company has confirmed a Galaxy Note 8 handset will arrive this year.
Are you still using a Note 7? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
