Just a flesh wound? Samsung could bring back the Note 7 as a refurbished device with a smaller battery

Just when you thought the Note 7 was dead and buried, reports suggest that Samsung is looking to revive the flammable phablet as a refurbished device with a smaller, non-explodey battery. Citing unnamed sources at Samsung, The Investorsays the refurbished Note 7s could go on sale as early as June.

According to Korean outlet Hankyung, the refurbished Note 7s will have new cases, as well as batteries with a smaller capacity. While the original Note 7 had a 3,500mAh juice box, new models will have a capacity somewhere between 3,000 and 3,200mAh.

It's not clear where Samsung will sell the refurbished Note 7s, but both reports suggest India and Vietnam as possible markets.

Given the 2.5 or so million Note 7s left over after the initial recall, selling safe Note 7s for a cheaper price does sound like a better option than just throwing them out. The question is, will anyone still want one? At the very least, it could help fill the phablet shaped hole in the hears of diehard Samsung fans - at least until the launch of the Note 8.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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