Samsung denies that it is planning to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7s

Update: Yesterday reports began circulating claiming that Samsung would soon sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 units with smaller batteries in certain territories. At the time, the reports claimed that these Note 7s would be sold at a reduced rate in emerging markets like India as well as Samsung's home country South Korea. However, it is now starting to sound like perhaps Samsung won't be bringing the Note 7 back after all.

In a statement given to Gadgets360 today, a Samsung spokesperson said “the report on Samsung planning to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in India is incorrect”. However, the spokesperson did not comment on the possibility of refurbished Note 7s going on sale in other countries besides India. That said, it is also entirely possible that the lack of other countries mentioned in the statement was just an oversight.

With this in mind, perhaps lower your expectations for a return of the Galaxy Note 7 because it may not actually happen.

Original Story: It looks like Samsung may still be able to recover some money from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco after all as reports this week are claiming that the company will soon start selling refurbished versions of the Note 7. These refurbished Note 7s would come with a smaller battery than the original but would only be available in certain markets.

The initial report comes from sources speaking with South Korean outlet ‘Hankyung‘, claiming that refurbished Galaxy Note 7s would feature a 3000mAh or 3200 mAh battery rather than the 3500mAh battery that originally featured in the device at launch.

While some refurbished units are said to be sold, they will only be available in emerging markets like India and Vietnam. Samsung may also sell some in South Korea just ahead of the Galaxy S8 launch but the likelihood of refurbs making their way to Europe or the US sound slim.

Unfortunately, there is no word on how much Samsung would be charging for refurbished Galaxy Note 7s, nor do we have a concrete release date but current sources appear to be pointing to around May.

KitGuru Says: Samsung lost quite a lot of money after the Galaxy Note 7 recall, so it would make sense for the company to try and recoup some of that loss. I do wonder how successful this will end up being though. Would any of you consider buying a refurbed Galaxy Note 7 with a smaller battery and lower price tag?

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