Samsung Confirms Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Phones Will Enter Retail Market

We are just a few days away from the official launch of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but one previously launched (and notorious) Samsung smartphone is still making news over six months after it was first unveiled. Samsung today confirmed that it intends to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones dependent on “consultation with regulatory authorities” and “local demand.”

We previously heard rumblings about refurbished Galaxy Note 7 devices making their way to consumers just over a month ago. Those reports suggested that the refurbished devices would ship with a smaller battery ranging in capacity from 3,000 to 3,200 mAh, compared to the fire-prone 3,500 mAh batteries that originally shipped with the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung is sitting on 2.5 million returned Galaxy Note 7 phones, so it should come as no surprise that the company is at least trying to recoup some of its financial losses on the launch by reselling them. Samsung hasn’t confirmed which markets will be receiving the Galaxy Note 7, but it’s probably a certainty that the United States won’t accept refurbished units. Previous reporting suggested that the phones could end up in Vietnam and/or India.

For Galaxy Note 7 phones that aren’t resold as refurbished devices, salvageable components — such as semiconductors and camera modules — will be removed and used for “test sample purposes”. Samsung will also contract companies that specialize in extracting precious metals — like copper and gold — from the remaining devices.

It is unknown at this time how many of the millions of Galaxy Note 7 phones that Samsung has in its possession will actually make it back onto the market, and how much of a discount the company will provide to potential customers. For those that need a refresher, the Galaxy Note 7 debuted globally with a price tag of over $800.