Potential Specs Changes To Expect Upon Release Of Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Specific and official release details for refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are still being kept under wraps but its alleged live photos are already making rounds online giving hints as to what we can expect from it.

Sam Mobile shared the live images of what is believed to be a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 unit. One of the images showed that the recycled Note 7 units could arrive at launch running on Android 7.0 Nougat. Moreover, it is expected that the refurbished 2016 phablets will be equipped with smaller batteries.

A picture particularly showed that the Note 7’s new juice pack will have a 3200-mAh capacity, which is 300 mAh less than the original version. GSM Arena shared its thoughts regarding the possible change of battery specs for the refurbished Note 7 units.

“Seeing as how the extremely tight internal margins were deemed part of the reason for the Note7’s recall and subsequent halt of production, a smaller capacity and thus physically more compact battery should be just fine inside the same space.”

Aside from changing the battery, the Note 7 could also get a new model number. Instead of sticking with the SM-N930 identification, refurbished units could carry the model number N935. Release rumors are also highlighting the possibility that Samsung will assign a new name to the phablet so it will not be easily associated with the Note 7’s explosion issues that resulted in a massive global recall.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s refurbished model spotted in leaked images. https://t.co/kmOl07X0JS pic.twitter.com/CH6QXVpnzt

— Rootmygalaxy.net – Guides and News (@rootmygalaxy) April 8, 2017

The alleged live photos of refurbished Note 7s were first spotted from an unofficial Vietnamese Samsung fansite (SamsungVN). Given that the Korean tech giant has manufacturing facilities in the Asian country, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that the pictures posted are the real deal. Vietnam is also one of the rumored markets for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s release.

India was also purported to be one of the potential markets for the refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7, with a report out of Korea saying that it could be set for release as early as June. However, it was quickly refuted by a Samsung India spokesperson who noted the following, as cited by GSM Arena.

“The report on Samsung planning to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphone[s] in India is incorrect.”

A post on the Samsung Newsroom page last month essentially confirmed the release of refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units, which particularly enumerated the three main principles they set (see below) to make sure that the returned phablets are “recycled and processed in an environmentally-friendly manner.”

• “devices shall be considered to be used as refurbished phones or rental phones where applicable.”

• “salvageable components shall be detached for reuse.”

• “processes such as metals extraction shall be performed using environmentally friendly methods.”

“Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand,” the post also noted. “The markets and release dates will be determined accordingly,” it added.

To further clarify the upcoming release of refurbished Note 7 units, Samsung said the following statement to The Verge. It also confirmed that the phablets will not hit the American shelves.

“The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact. The product details including the name, technical specification and price range will be announced when the device is available. Samsung will not be offering refurbished Galaxy Note 7 devices for rent or sale in the US.”

Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s embarrassing fiasco that led to a recall obviously resulted in a huge financial damage for the company. The Investor shared that the recall alone equated to a US $2.6 billion loss. But if the original sales target (20 million units) is to be considered, the total estimated losses are at around US $6 billion. Industry sources, according to the report, believed that Samsung could lower its financial loss from the Note 7 disaster through the sales from the refurbished units.

[Featured Image by Carsten Koall/Getty Images]