Samsung Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Fandom Edition Reportedly To Arrive In July
The Galaxy Note 7 is a black eye for Samsung, one that largely faded with the release of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. And when the Galaxy Note 8 comes out, it will have nearly faded away completely, save for the history books. That said, the Galaxy Note 7 was actually a really good handset, save for its nasty habit of overheating and catching fire. While Samsung was able to weather the financial storm of a global recall, it will look to recoup some of its losses by selling refurbished models as Fandom Edition handsets.
It is a bit of a quirky strategy, though the alternative is to take a total loss on all of those returned handsets, minus what Samsung might be able to salvage from parting them out. Rather than go that route, its is being reported by The Wall Street Journal that Samsung will outfit the Galaxy Note 7 with different components—exactly which ones outside of the pesky battery is not known—and sold under the name Galaxy Note 7 FE.
While not specifically stated, we assume this is related to Samsung's confirmation a few months ago that it would indeed sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 handsets, as was rumored at the time. Samsung said its decision to proceed forward would be dependent on "consultation with regulatory authorities" and "local demand." It seems as though Samsung has cleared whatever red tap might have stood in the way.
As to local demand, the Fandom Edition will ship first to consumers in South Korea, topping out at 400,000 units spread across three major telecoms. There are plans to earmark modest inventory of FE handsets to other countries as well, though it is not clear which ones. It is also not known if the United States will be among the territories that Samsung will see these refurbished phones.
The timing here is a little odd, especially with the Galaxy Note 8 nearing release. It is said the Galaxy Note 7 FE will be priced below 700,000 South Korean won (around $616 in U.S. currency). That seems a bit high to us, considering the Galaxy Note 7 is now a dated device and there is about to be a new generation Galaxy Note. At the same time, it has been rumored the Galaxy Note 8 might start at $900, making it the most expensive Galaxy Note device ever. If that is the case, shelling out $600 for a refurbished previous generation model does not seem all that egregious.
We have a hunch that Samsung will limit the number of Galaxy Note 7 FE models it sells. The company recalled around 3 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets last year following reports of the phones catching fire and causing both personal and property damage. That ended up costing the company around $5 billion. Perhaps just as importantly, the recall shook consumer confidence, albeit only temporarily. Samsung risks highlighting its misstep if it decides to bring the Galaxy Note 7 back in full force, hence why we think it will only sell a fraction of the original number in refurbished form.
It is a bit of a quirky strategy, though the alternative is to take a total loss on all of those returned handsets, minus what Samsung might be able to salvage from parting them out. Rather than go that route, its is being reported by The Wall Street Journal that Samsung will outfit the Galaxy Note 7 with different components—exactly which ones outside of the pesky battery is not known—and sold under the name Galaxy Note 7 FE.
While not specifically stated, we assume this is related to Samsung's confirmation a few months ago that it would indeed sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 handsets, as was rumored at the time. Samsung said its decision to proceed forward would be dependent on "consultation with regulatory authorities" and "local demand." It seems as though Samsung has cleared whatever red tap might have stood in the way.
As to local demand, the Fandom Edition will ship first to consumers in South Korea, topping out at 400,000 units spread across three major telecoms. There are plans to earmark modest inventory of FE handsets to other countries as well, though it is not clear which ones. It is also not known if the United States will be among the territories that Samsung will see these refurbished phones.
The timing here is a little odd, especially with the Galaxy Note 8 nearing release. It is said the Galaxy Note 7 FE will be priced below 700,000 South Korean won (around $616 in U.S. currency). That seems a bit high to us, considering the Galaxy Note 7 is now a dated device and there is about to be a new generation Galaxy Note. At the same time, it has been rumored the Galaxy Note 8 might start at $900, making it the most expensive Galaxy Note device ever. If that is the case, shelling out $600 for a refurbished previous generation model does not seem all that egregious.
We have a hunch that Samsung will limit the number of Galaxy Note 7 FE models it sells. The company recalled around 3 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets last year following reports of the phones catching fire and causing both personal and property damage. That ended up costing the company around $5 billion. Perhaps just as importantly, the recall shook consumer confidence, albeit only temporarily. Samsung risks highlighting its misstep if it decides to bring the Galaxy Note 7 back in full force, hence why we think it will only sell a fraction of the original number in refurbished form.
