Samsung’s 2016 flagship, the Galaxy Note 7, was a disaster due to its battery issues, which cost the Korean firm billions of dollars in lost profits and its global reputation. Now to make up for the losses, the company is all set to reveal the new Note Fan Edition, which will use some components of the Galaxy Note 7.
A wise decision from Samsung
Samsung’s new device is fitted with a smaller and safer battery and will be released on July 7, the Korean firm said. According to Samsung, the Note Fan Edition uses parts from the recalled Note 7 handsets and unused parts the company had in stock.
The Korean firm plans to sell only 400,000 handsets in its home market. As of now, the Note Fan Edition will be available only in South Korea. Samsung has said that it may launch it in other markets, but that will be decided later.
Samsung’s latest move comes in the wake of growing pressure from environmentalists to reduce e-waste, notes the BBC. Thus, using old components in new devices creates a win-win situation for all: the company, buyers and environmentalists.
“The latest launch of the Galaxy Note FE… has a significant meaning as an environment-friendly project that minimized the waste of resources,” Samsung said in a statement.
By selling refurbished phones, Samsung will at least partially be able to realize its investment into the Galaxy Note 7. It’s a good deal for buyers too, as they will get a quality product (hopefully) at a reduced price. The refurbished edition is priced at 699,000 won ($611), far lower than the previous version that was about $1,000.
Note Fan Edition is very similar to Note 7
While the Note 7 came with a larger 3,500mAh battery, the new Note Fan Edition has a smaller 3,200mAh battery. The company has put the device through an eight-point battery safety check, thus assuring customers of its safety. The device has improved software as well, with a user interface that’s similar to that found on the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
Samsung’s voice-activated assistant Bixby is another plus. Design-wise, the Note Fan Edition will be similar to the original Note 7, but with a different logo on the back reading “Galaxy Note Fan Edition” on the back. The available colors are Gold Platinum, Black Onyx, Silver Titanium and Blue Coral. In addition, the handset will ship with an S-Pen stylus.
Internally, most of the specifications are the same as those of the Note 7. The Fan Edition has a Snapdragon 821 processor, 64GB of built-in storage, 4GB of RAM and Android Nougat. The handset will sport the same 5.7-inch AMOLED display, a 12MP rear camera, wireless charging, IP68 water resistance and an iris scanner as well.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S8, is selling well. The company has received positive reviews and strong orders for the flagship device. The Galaxy Note 8, the successor to the original Note 7, is expected to arrive later this year. Samsung is rumored to be planning to announce the next-gen Note on August 26 in New York.
