Samsung Confirms They Will Be Disabling The Note 7 In The US

A report from the other day seemed to hint that Samsung could be thinking of remotely disabling the Note 7 in the US. This is versus other countries in which carriers blacklist the phone from being used on networks. Samsung has since issued a statement confirming that they will be pushing out an update that will do just that.

According to the statement, “To further increase participation, a software update will be released starting on December 19th and will be distributed within 30 days. This software update will prevent U.S. Galaxy Note7 devices from charging and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices. Together with our carrier partners, we will be notifying consumers through multiple touchpoints to encourage any remaining Galaxy Note7 owners to participate in the program and to take advantage of the financial incentives available.”

However it seems that there is at least one carrier partner in the US that does not plan on cooperating with Samsung: Verizon. In a statement issued on Verizon’s website, it seems that the carrier has decided that they will not push out the update to their customers, claiming that it will leave customers stranded.

Part of the statement reads, “Verizon will not be taking part in this update because of the added risk this could pose to Galaxy Note7 users that do not have another device to switch to. We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Galaxy Note 7, Samsung