Samsung to permanently disable any remaining US Galaxy Note 7 models

AppleInsider

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.

boltsfan17

Finally!!! Samsung should have done this when they recalled the phones. 

apple ][

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!

SpamSandwich

Now where will ISIS go to get their munitions?  /s

Soli

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?

linkman

"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.

stompy

Soli said:

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?

Why? Geniuses that believe their phone is statistically unlikely to explode (based on false assumptions), or believe that since it hasn't exploded yet, it never will (normalcy bias).

viclauyyc

Soli said:

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?

Stupidity?

icoco3

apple ][ said:

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!

Carriers:  "OK, we sent the update to all the S7's."

Samsung:  "NOTE 7's not s7's!!!!!!!!"

lkrupp

Soli said:

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?

You can’t understand? Have you had any dealings with some of the Samsung fanboys out there? They make iSheep sound like rational people.

lkrupp

linkman said:

"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.

Looks like Samsung is trying for a CYA move. If one of these holdout’s Note 7s blows up in their face can they still hold Samsung liable after willfully ignoring the recall and willfully rejecting the update? But the really sad thing is Samsung will fully recover from this debacle. A year from now when the S8 or Note 8 is released it will be as if nothing happened. All the tech bloggers are giving Samsung a pass on this. They still gush about how great the Note 7 is/was and how the S8 and Note 8 will be God’s gift to humanity, perfect in every way. We already know that Samsung sales haven’t been hit all that hard and the mass movement to the iPhone 7 hasn’t happened either. I guess consumer don’t really care about this.

MacPro

apple ][ said:

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!

I really hope no one manages to get hold of this update and mod it to 'update' all Samsung Phones ... cough cough ...

chia

There is a possibility some of the "holdouts" are actually technology gadget collectors, a Note 7 in their collection will be the tech equivalent of poached ivory, the Note 7 will become a very rare and frowned upon device.  Let's hope these collectors have some sense and keep it within a fireproof box!

disneylandman

Funny how people forget that Apple had this very same problem with batteries catching fire with the dreadful PowerBook 5300 series.  Apple had to scrap the whole idea of using Lithium Ion batteries and go back to nickel metal hydride batteries.  They recalled the laptops already sold and replaced the batteries with the older battery tech, which had 30% less battery life.  Also poor design caused cracked casings and failing motherboards.  The 5300 was the worst product ever designed by Apple.  Sometimes a company makes a turd of a product.  Funny that people here love to bash Samsung for their phones, but they all probably love their Samsung HDTVs.

Rayz2016

sog35 said:

lkrupp said:

linkman said:

"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.

Looks like Samsung is trying for a CYA move. If one of these holdout’s Note 7s blows up in their face can they still hold Samsung liable after willfully ignoring the recall and willfully rejecting the update? But the really sad thing is Samsung will fully recover from this debacle. A year from now when the S8 or Note 8 is released it will be as if nothing happened. All the tech bloggers are giving Samsung a pass on this. They still gush about how great the Note 7 is/was and how the S8 and Note 8 will be God’s gift to humanity, perfect in every way. We already know that Samsung sales haven’t been hit all that hard and the mass movement to the iPhone 7 hasn’t happened either. I guess consumer don’t really care about this.

Why are you concerned about what tech bloggers say or do?

They are just doing their job:

1. Samsung is a huge advertiser. Tech Bloggers get paid from advertising money
2. Bashing Apple leads to more clicks and page views

Samsung sales have been hit hard. They reported a loss on their mobile unit.
iPhone7 is selling well.

You know it's really odd, but you sound like you're in pain. 

misa

chia said:

There is a possibility some of the "holdouts" are actually technology gadget collectors, a Note 7 in their collection will be the tech equivalent of poached ivory, the Note 7 will become a very rare and frowned upon device.  Let's hope these collectors have some sense and keep it within a fireproof box!

Unless they take it apart themselves to remove the battery, that's one time-bomb I wouldn't want left in a collection. It may not catch fire now, but in 10 or 20 years when someone goes plugging those things in to see what's on them, someone's house catches fire.

The likely case is that the remaining 280000 or so phones still out there were re-imported into China or South America, or were "jailbroken" with firmware to ignore such updates.

It's also very likely that they're not going to recover the remaining phones.

Marvin

stompy said:

Soli said:

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?

Why? Geniuses that believe their phone is statistically unlikely to explode (based on false assumptions), or believe that since it hasn't exploded yet, it never will (normalcy bias).

Android users can be quite fanatical about their support for their devices too, more so than Apple users who would absolutely return an Apple product if it was a safety hazard:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/samsung-holdouts-wont-give-up-their-fire-prone-galaxy-notes-1477488021

I always hear Android users talking about how superior their devices are, Apple users rarely do this, Apple users mostly defend the choice to spend more in the face of attacks from people who bought what they perceive to be a better value option. Notice in the article there, it's techie guys again who think they know better than everyone else, even the manufacturer of the product who says it's defective. Some of the comments are deluded: 

"In one public Twitter exchange, Andrew Custer, a San Francisco lighting designer, told Samsung’s support team he had no plans of turning in his Note 7, saying “there is no comparable phone.”"

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8065&idPhone2=8082

No comparable phone because of what? A stylus bundled with it?

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-7-vs-apple-iphone-7-plus

"I can't see me ever buying an Iphone again, or owning any phone without the use of an S pen. Hopefully i wont ever be forced to. Long Live the NOTE!"

Here's a video of what it looks like when the battery goes on fire (2:50):



It's about time we had some safer batteries for every device but holding onto a known defective product that can burst into flames like that and endanger people around you because you like to scribble on your phone is ridiculous. It's good they are bricking them and for the phone companies that don't want to do this, at least put a message on the phone saying it's being recalled and have the user acknowledge that they are willing to put other people at risk so that it passes some liability onto them.

titantiger

Just be ready. Somewhere out there is a dumbass that will block this update to keep his phone and burn his apartment building down.

maestro64

Okay, been over 2 yrs since I have been on Andriod, however, when I was, updates just did not install without you being involved in the update. Do Samsung/Carrier just push these update without you knowing. If that is the case I would not be happy since I do not update until I am sure people are not have issues.

I still see people at airports not being allowed on plane with their Samsung phones, they have to prove it is not the one being banned. United made a big deal of it. This probably the issue that Samsung is being forced to deal with.

maestro64

disneylandman said:

Funny how people forget that Apple had this very same problem with batteries catching fire with the dreadful PowerBook 5300 series.  Apple had to scrap the whole idea of using Lithium Ion batteries and go back to nickel metal hydride batteries.  They recalled the laptops already sold and replaced the batteries with the older battery tech, which had 30% less battery life.  Also poor design caused cracked casings and failing motherboards.  The 5300 was the worst product ever designed by Apple.  Sometimes a company makes a turd of a product.  Funny that people here love to bash Samsung for their phones, but they all probably love their Samsung HDTVs.

Actually it was not a design issue with Apple it was a battery technology issue and Apple was not the only company hit with the problem. Yes company make turd products and have quality issues, it comes down to how they handle it. Also in this case Samsung rushed the product to market and did not do the necessary testing, otherwise, they would have seen the problem since it was design issue not a manufacturing process issue with the batteries which may have changes over time.

Apple still have their fair share of issues, but more time is corner use cases where it shows up or something obviously change over time.

maestro64

Marvin said:

stompy said:

Soli said:

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?

Why? Geniuses that believe their phone is statistically unlikely to explode (based on false assumptions), or believe that since it hasn't exploded yet, it never will (normalcy bias).

Android users can be quite fanatical about their support for their devices too, more so than Apple users who would absolutely return an Apple product if it was a safety hazard:



It's about time we had some safer batteries for every device but holding onto a known defective product that can burst into flames like that and endanger people around you because you like to scribble on your phone is ridiculous. It's good they are bricking them and for the phone companies that don't want to do this, at least put a message on the phone saying it's being recalled and have the user acknowledge that they are willing to put other people at risk so that it passes some liability onto them.

Nice video with the dismantling of the battery and trying to explain what may have happen. The issue with video and based on the known facts, Samsung had more than one supplier of the battery pack. I believe one of the suppliers was Samsung themselves, so it may have a pack design of their own doing. However, both battery manufactures had batteries going up in flame which said it was not a manufacturing or design defect in the battery itself. It was something to so with Samsung charging system which did not properly protect the battery during charging., Keep in mind Samsung uses similar cells in other phones and they are not having an issue. I figure based on what we know, the issue had something to do with how the batteries was being charged especially during it rapid charge it may had introduced a defect into the battery which deteriorated over times and then caught fire. Samsung even attempted to address the issue with a software update, you can not fix a manufacturing defect in a battery with software updated. Google may thing you can fix everything with software, but in the real world that does not always work.