Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 recall has been one of the most talked about happenings this year. The controversy started about three months ago, but at this point, it feels like this thing has been going on longer than that. The whole thing has been very complex and obviously not easy to handle. It wasn't a simple case of a product recall. Samsung had to go through a series of decision-makings and through a number of controversies. Here's a look back at what has been happening to the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Release
The Note 7 was first released August 19 and it was kind of a big success considering the demand it received in different markets. Delays due to supply shortage have even been reported during its earlier days. This can practically be associated with the Note 7's overall improvements from its predecessor.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 First Explosion Cases
In early September, reports of Note 7 explosions slowly grew in number. Eventually, the recorded cases rose to up to about a hundred cases in the US alone. The said explosions have become a viral topic in social media, each with a different back-story.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 First Recall
Around September 2, Samsung has announced their first recall for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. However, this still didn't foresee the total discontinuation of the said phablet. The company just suspended the sales of the flagship and announced its informal recall. During this time, the company still offered a new-unit replacement for the faulty Note 7 devices.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Total Discontinuation
Note 7 was formally recalled in the US September 12, still with the possibility of getting a "fixed" unit in exchange of the faulty ones. Nevertheless, by October, a number of explosion incidents still occurred on the replacement units. On October 11, the company announced the permanent end of Note 7's production and sales.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Ban From Airlines
Within the first two weeks of October, the Note 7 has been through a whirlwind of emotions and it eventually ended up with an airline ban. As per The Guardian, airlines from around the world had already disallowed the said smartphone from being in-flight. Passengers who fail to follow the new rule are subject to punitive measures including the confiscation of their Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Note Series Cancellation Rumor
With the said Note 7 explosion and recall controversy flooding the web, rumors came out about Samsung's plan to discontinue the Note series as a whole. It was said that due to the staining of the said series' reputation, the company might need to remove the Note series altogether. Nevertheless, this rumor was proven wrong when Samsung announced their Galaxy upgrade program wherein South Korea-bought units are subject to a certain upgrade program when their owners purchase the upcoming Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 devices.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall Progress
The interesting thing about the Note 7 is that despite the recall and the obvious danger scare of its faulty batteries, there are still people dedicated to keeping their phones. As of December 2016, there are still a number of units out there in the wild, with owners who have decided to rebel with Samsung's recall plea. With that, the company had been devoted itself into making the unreturned Note 7 practically unusable. In some markets, Samsung has released a battery-limiting update that would disable the phones to get fully charged. The company is also set to release an update that will disconnect the Note 7 from network providers. The phones' WiFi and Bluetooth are also to be disconnected.
In the US, Samsung is bound to roll out the same update wherein WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular would all get disabled. However, this isn't all of it. The company will actually limit the phone's charging as a whole. Needless to say, this is the latest Note 7 chapter in its seemingly never-ending saga.
