Just a few days ago we told you on Google about Samsung's latest plan to try to "force" those users who still refuse to return or replace their Galaxy Note 7. Well, this plan consists of limit battery capacity of terminals via software update, and it has already begun to be deployed.
This is one of the first drastic measures that the company implements in order to prevent more incidents from happening with these faulty terminals capable of exploding and being engulfed in flames.
Samsung "encourages" to return the Galaxy Note 7 that are still in circulation
Officially, Samsung has not yet been able to come to a conclusion about why the replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices also exploded and went up in flames, but what is evident is that these are potentially dangerous terminals and although more than three million units have already been withdrawn (around 85% of the distributed terminals) still there are a number of users who, for one reason or another, are reluctant to make the return.
They may not have found out that the problem persists (somewhat difficult, very difficult to understand); perhaps they think that owning a unit of these Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be able to bring them an interesting wad of bills in the future as a collector's item; or perhaps they simply embrace the human condition that "this is not going to happen to me." In any case, 15 percent of devices still circulate around that could potentially explode at any time, and the consequences are unpredictable, as we have seen in other cases.
Galaxy Note 7 and damage caused by its fire in Wesley Hartzog's home | IMAGE: Wesley Hartzog
Samsung is determined to put an end to this situation and recover each and every one of the distributed units of the Galaxy Note 7 so, in order to limit the probability of a repeat accident similar to any of those already registered, the South Korean company has gradually begun to roll out a Exclusive software update for the different Galaxy Note 7 models that reduces the battery charge capacity by almost half of these terminals.
Once this new update has been installed in the Galaxy Note 7 terminals that are still circulating there, users will not be able to charge the battery beyond 60 percent of its capacity.
This update has already landed in Europe, South Korea, Australia, as well as the United States. Now Samsung has also extended it to Canada.
Even more extreme measures
Samsung has been continuously calling on users to deliver their Galaxy Note 7, even offering a $ 100 discount for the purchase of a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in the United States. Limiting the battery charge is an additional measure for all those users who have not yet returned their terminals, but it is not the last or the most aggressive.
In New Zealand, one of the most drastic steps has been taken: starting next November 18 the telecommunications network will not be supported with the Galaxy Note 7 so they will not be able to make or receive calls, send text messages or use the mobile data network, although it can be used offline or through a WiFi network. This is a measure that no other telephone operator in any country has dared to carry out so far.
As an extreme measure, Samsung could still remotely lock all of these devices, although this is something about which there is no confirmation that it will happen.
Meanwhile, the company is also studying the formula de reduce as much as possible the impact that the recall of Galaxy Note 7 will have on the environment, while organizations like Greenpeace urge the company to reuse as many components as possible in its next terminals, something that would also benefit Samsung's coffers, battered by a loss of billions of dollars.