Roger Fingas
Samsung is reportedly adopting even harsher methods to prevent people from using the few remaining Galaxy Note 7s in the wild, planning an imminent U.S. software update that will render them useless.
On Dec. 19 Samsung will push out an update preventing the phones from charging, according to a statement to The Verge. The code will be distributed through all major U.S. carriers within 30 days.
Samsung noted that 93 percent of Note 7s sold in the country have already been returned. The update is meant to get people to participate in a long-standing recall offering refunds and exchanges, sometimes with extra financial incentives.
The company has been gradually escalating its software tactics. American Note 7 models are already unable to charge past 60 percent, and in Canada, Samsung will soon be disabling all wireless functions.
Shortly after its launch late this summer, the Note 7 was plagued by a series of battery fires and explosions, possibly owing to an ultra-compact design rushed to beat Apple's iPhone 7. Samsung attempted to recall and fix the initial batch of units, but this didn't solve the problem, forcing the company to issue another recall and discontinue the product entirely.
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21 Comments
Finally!!! Samsung should have done this when they recalled the phones.
That's hilarious! :#
One final software update that will basically kill the phone! It's similar to taking a very sick patient and pulling them off of life support!
That's one Android update that I can approve of! That's probably the best Android software update to have ever been released, in the entire history of Android, also known as the dark ages!
Now where will ISIS go to get their munitions? /s
I can't understand why people would still be using that device? Or is this a case where they don't care about the refund because they think if they hold onto it (turned off with the battery drained, of course) that it will increase in value some day?
"software update will be released starting on December 19th that will prevent U.S. Galaxy Note7 devices from charging and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices."
Source: http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
There will still be some holdouts after this update. It will not prevent all mobile use and may still require yet another update. Out of spite those users will be seen with their Note 7's attached with cables to external battery packs or using them as audio sources in cars. Any remaining battery charge from before the update can still be a threat.
This is still another failure from Samsung. They need to totally brick the phones. The only ones left in use after that are ones that don't receive updates.