We’re down to less than 24 hours before Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S8 after skpping the Mobile World Congress. We know most people within the Android community are excited to know if the South Korean tech giant has done good this time. Not that it has failed miserably but the Note 7 fiasco really did put the brand in a bad spotlight.
The past year hasn’t been good for Samsung but it’s doing its best to make sure the Galaxy S8 passes the improved quality assurance tests and follows the standard protocols. The goal is to ensure that the upcoming premium flagship duo, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, will not suffer the same fate as the Note 7. The latter’s battery had the tendency to overheat and easily explode which prompted Samsung to recall millions of units and eventually stop production.
It’s been months since Samsung made several steps to collect all problematic Note 7 units in different countries. We don’t have the latest report on how many percent have already returned their Note 7 phones but Samsung is expected to disable battery charging on unsurrendered Galaxy Note 7. Last month, we also noted that Samsung may bring back the Note 7 with lower capacity battery but honestly, we don’t think it’s a good idea. We’d rather wait for the Note 8 to be released later this year.
So what will happen now to the old Galaxy Note 7 units Samsung has collected the past months? Reusing is not an option so recycle, maybe? Yes. That’s what Samsung plans to do. The company already set three principles to make sure the phones are “recycled and processed in an environmentally-friendly manner.” They are as follows:
1.) Sevices shall be considered to be used as refurbished phones or rental phones where applicable.
2.) Second, salvageable components shall be detached for reuse.
3.) Processes such as metals extraction shall be performed using environmentally friendly methods.
Component recycling will have Samsung extract previous metals (copper, nickel, gold, and silver) first by employing eco-friendly companies to do the processes. Samsung is also thinking of joining EU’s R&D and test efforts to develop eco-efficient processing programs.
Samsung will still need to consult with the mobile carriers and regulatory authorities first. The refurbished phones will still be subject to approval by local regulators. We can expect related announcements on release dates in the coming weeks or months. However, it’s not going to happen in the United States. The tech giant already confirmed Note 7 is coming as a refurbished device but not in the country.
The Verge shared in a report that “Samsung will not be offering refurbished Galaxy Note 7 devices for rent or sale in the US” when asked about the refurbishing sales plans. It’s final. No more refurbished Galaxy Note 7 in the United States so don’t ask your local carrier if and when it will be available.
VIA: The Verge
SOURCE: Samsung
It’s not worth it. Airlines are banning this phone.