A South Korean employee provides a replacement Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone at a telecommunications shop in Seoul on September 19, 2016.
Samsung started on September 19 to provide users of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone the first batch of replacements with new batteries, after a series of battery explosions prompted a major recall worldwide. / AFP / JUNG YEON-JE (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
Starting December 19th, Samsung will be using a software update to make the remaining Galaxy Note7s out in the marketplace essentially useless.
The Galaxy Note7 was recalled earlier this year due to a battery issue that caused some of the phones to catch on fire. The phone has since been banned by the FAA. The update, which will be distributed across most of the major carriers networks over the next month, will prevent the Galaxy Note7 from charging, ultimately rendering the device unusable.
The update will not be distributed to Verizon phones at the choice of the carrier, not Samsung.
“Verizon will not be taking part in this update because of the added risk this could pose to Galaxy Note7 users that do not have another device to switch to,” said Jeffrey Nelson, Vice President, Global Corporate Communications at Verizon in a statement. “We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation.”
While the company has been able to retrieve most of the shipped phones, seven percent of its US-sold Note7 units are still out in the world, adding up to roughly 133,000 devices. The hope is that by disabling the phone, Samsung will be able to expedite the return process with those customers who might still be holding on to the device for some reason.
This isn’t Samsung’s first attempt to persuade users to return the phone. In addition to the phone’s very public recall, Note7 devices in the United States are currently prevented from charging past 60 percent, and users are notified about the recall each time they power the device on. In Canada, the phones aren’t able to connect to a mobile network.
If you still have a Galaxy Note7, you can return the device to your point of purchase for a refund or to exchange it for another phone.
