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Samsung to Sell Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 at Slashed Price in South Korea | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 7. (AFP)


The maligned Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be refurbished and sold at cut prices in South Korea next week, announced Samsung Electronics.

The Galaxy Note FE phone, using unused parts in the recalled Note 7 smartphones, will go on sale in South Korea on Friday at 700,000 won ($611), about three quarters of its original price.

The company said the supply will be limited to 400,000 units. Overseas sales plans will be determined later, it said in a statement.

Samsung said the Note FE has “perfect safety.”

The original Note 7 was one of the biggest black eyes in Samsung’s history. When it was launched in August 2016, the Note 7 was Samsung’s answer to Apple’s upcoming iPhone. It was also one of the most expensive Samsung phones with the price starting at $850.

But after reports emerged that its batteries were prone to overheat and catch fire, Samsung recalled the phone in less than a month of its launch and released another one with replaced batteries. But the second batch also tended to overheat, prompting Samsung to discontinue the Note 7.

The debacle dealt a blow to Samsung’s corporate image. Aviation authorities around the world banned the pricy phone on flight and photos of scorched Note 7 circulated on social media. The incident cost Samsung over $5 billion in operating profit and damaged its reputation, though the firm has since recovered with the successful launch of the Galaxy S8.

Earlier this year, the company released the investigation results and blamed flaws in design and production of batteries supplied by two battery makers.

After Samsung recalled millions of Note 7 phones, environmental activists have pressured the South Korean tech giant to reuse the electronics parts to reduce waste. Samsung said the Note FE is part of its efforts to minimize waste.

It will be made from recalled, unsealed Note 7 handsets and unused Note 7 components.

Batteries for the refurbished devices will have a lower capacity than those of the original Note 7s, but have passed new safety measures implemented following the recall, Samsung said.

Like the previous Note series, the Note FE, short for “Fan Edition,” features the jumbo screen measuring 5.7 inches (14.48 centimeters) diagonally and the stylus pen.

Samsung plans to hold a launch event for the Note 8 in the second half of August, a source told Reuters last month.

The firm said it will decide whether to sell the refurbished Note 7s in other markets at a later date.