The Galaxy Note7 recall started a few months ago, but to this day there are plenty of Galaxy Note7 users out there who refuse to turn the phablet over to Samsung.
But the Korean tech giant is having none of it. In recent weeks, the company has pulled out the big guns working with carriers in New Zealand, Canada and Australia to blacklist the phablet from the countries’ networks.
In the US, Samsung has issued an update which limits phones from charging more than 60%. But according to a report coming out of The Verge things are going to take a turn for the worse.
It appears an US Cellular customer received a message alerting him that starting December 15, Samsung will modify the software (via software update??) to prevent the Galaxy Note7 from charging. At all. So the phone will no longer work. Not even as a camera.
By preventing the phone from charging, Samsung is putting the last nail in the Galaxy Note7’s coffin. We’re not told whether the update will be forced or not, leaving room to speculate that some users might refuse to install the update.
Samsung previously stated 85% of the Note7s sold in the US have been recovered, but the company obviously wants to wipe the slate clean before the Galaxy S8 arrives.
The Korean tech giant has been trying to lure customers to return the potentially dangerous device by offering refunds or to exchange the device with a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.
Samsung has announced new color versions of the Galaxy S7 edge including the Note7-reminscent Coral Blue, in a bit to make its older flagships more attractive to Note7 refugees.
However, a lot of Note7 users would prefer to hold on to the device, until the Galaxy S8 makes a debut in the wild. But Samsung is not asking them nicely to return the device anymore.
[Update]: Samsung has confirmed this will indeed the case. Starting December 19, the Korean tech giant will push a software update with the purpose of rendering the Galaxy Note7 obsolete as a mobile device. Samsung says it is working closely with carrier partners to notify remaining Note7 users. The company also revealed 93% of Note7s in the US have been returned.
Customers should be suing Verizon for not permanently disabling Galaxy Note 7 phones during the holiday season. This is the perfect time to do it so people can enjoy the holidays from somewhere other than a hospital.