Samsung To Sell Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Handsets In June [REPORT]

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Samsung may have plans to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 phones beginning in June, reports The Korea Economic Daily. The device may sport a new case, but the internal components could be the same as those featured in the original Galaxy Note 7 that went on sale in September.

Refurbished Note 7 with smaller batteries

The only reason that caused the Note 7 fiasco was the batteries, according to Samsung and South Korea authorities. This means a refurbished variant of Samsung’s flagship Android device with a different battery should offer complete safety to users.

The refurbished variants of the device will run on batteries that are of a smaller capacity than the ones powering the original phones, thus saving them from the risks of melting, catching fire and exploding. The batteries in the initial phone were 3,500mAh, while the ones in the refurbished devices will be 3,000mAh or 3,200mAh, the media outlet reports.

This will definitely affect the battery life, which won’t be comparable to that of the original Galaxy Note 7, but at least it won’t be a fire hazard. Selling refurbished units of the device might be an efficient way for the company to recoup some of the losses incurred due to the recall.

Samsung recalled the majority of the Note 7 units, which means there are about 3 million devices lying with the company as of now. It is unlikely that the company will refurbish all the devices, but the exact number of devices it will refurbish will probably depend on the number of markets in which it plans to sell the phablet, notes Android Headlines.

Refurbished Note 7 for emerging markets

The Korea Economic Daily claims that the Korean firm might sell refurbished Note 7 units in emerging markets only. The report specifically named India and Vietnam as two possible destinations of Samsung’s discontinued phablet.

It is highly unlikely that the U.S. and EU will stand for refurbished models, and this could be the reason the company is targeting emerging markets. India is not an easy target either, and it will be interesting to see how Samsung will get around the Indian government’s disdain for refurbished products because in the past, Indian officials rejected Apple’s proposal to sell refurbished iPhones.

Samsung’s Note 7 is a brilliant piece of design and engineering. If the battery issues hadn’t come up, the device would have propelled Samsung’s mobile division to new heights of profitability, and it better not explode this time, or Samsung will never recover from the shock.

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