Galaxy Note 8 Will Come After The Refurbished Galaxy Note 7R

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Heralded as the savior of Samsung’s smartphone reputation, the Galaxy S8, and S8 Plus are magnificent devices. However, the world of mobile technology never stops turning, and the South Korean giant has plans for more 2017 releases. One such release is of the Galaxy Note 8, the successor, of the forlorn Note 7, and is a handset which promises much. However, there are new reports of yet another Galaxy Note on the way; apparently, it will release before the 8.

Galaxy Note 8 Not Next In Line

Yes, you have probably already guessed it, this Galaxy Note 8 usurper is none other than a refurbished Note 7. A handset which has been, ever so slightly altered from its previous specification to become the Galaxy Note 7R. Obviously, the “R” stands for refurbished, and in reality, it is the same device. It just “Fingers crossed” won’t catch fire this time around.

Now, if this news surprises you, that means you thought the Note 7 was dead? No, Samsung earlier this year reported on its finding from the investigation into what caused the fire hazard. And at roughly the same time suggested that it would like to sell refurb versions of the handset. We reported on this in March, see here.

Even back then it was clear Samsung would launch the Galaxy Note 7R before the Galaxy Note 8, although the exact name was not known. So, the fact that it has stuck an R on the end shows that it has done, and will do what it promised. And that is as follows:

  1. Save salvageable components such as camera modules
  2. Extract metal parts with the help from “eco-friendly” third-party companies
  3. Where possible sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 handsets

What Has Changed?

While on the outside the Galaxy Note 7R and the original 7, look identical, seriously, Samsung has not changed anything. They both have a 5.7-inch 2K display and curved left and right edges. As for the internals, they are a different matter.

Galaxy Note 7R
Image: Technobuffalo

Obviously, the original 3500mAh battery is gone, it now has a 3200mAh replacement, one that has been thoroughly tested by the company, to exacting new standards. It no longer just allows testing to be conducted by its partners, the majority is done in-house.

Moving on to power there’s the original chipset too, which was the Exynos 8890 and 4G of RAM; additionally, it runs on Android. However, unlike version 6.0.1 which came with the first 7, this refurb sports Android 7.0 out of the box. Finally, the Iris scanner makes another appearance, and the cameras are the same too. That’s a 12-megapixel rear main sensor and a 5-megapixel front-facing selfie cam.

Release Date and Price

Unlike the Galaxy Note 8, the 7R will have to be sold at a much lower price, after all, this is likely a revenue recouping exercise. And Samsung does not want the release of a refurb to affect the possible sales of its next big flagship phablet.

As such, it’s thought that the handset will go on sale either in June or early July. However, there is no word about when and if the USA, will see it. The information we’ve seen points to a South Korean relaunch, with only 300,000 units going on sale. With regard to price, it will be significantly cheaper than its previous incarnation at 700,000 won, that’s $620 USD. Which also means the price is 300,000 won or $266 USD less than its release price in 2016.

Final Thoughts

Could the release of another Note before the Galaxy Note 8 cause problems for Samsung? We think it could, after all, if there are people out there who are holding on to older Notes waiting to upgrade. Why wait beyond the 7R for the Galaxy Note 8, it’s still a fantastic handset and will cost significantly less?

The fact, that there are at least 300,000 of them could mean at least 300,000 fewer sales of the next flagship. That could be the reason why the 7R may only go on sale in Samsung’s home market.

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