While there remains a few thousand Galaxy Note7 in the wild, Samsung is continuing to make heavy handed efforts to get those recalled devices back in their hands. Already issuing an update that limits the charging to 60% of capacity, the South Korean company has gone a step further by not allowing the devices to charge at all. Effectively, this is the kill switch for the device so if you are one of the few who have one, you won’t be able to use it much longer. The news is not surprising as the company has been trying to get all of the remaining devices in the globally back in their hands.
What is surprising is that Verizon has said they will not roll out the update to their customers. Uh, what?
Citing safety concerns (ironic) and not wanting to cut customers off during the holidays from their devices, Verizon has said they will not be pushing the update out to the Note7 on their network.
In a release issued on Friday, Verizon made it clear their stance on this update.
Samsung Galaxy Note7
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.
While on the surface this makes a lot of sense, the reality is that anyone who has a Note7 should have already turned it in by now. Secondly, the phone itself is a risk and if it is the cause of a house fire or car fire because it is charging, people can’t very well use it then either. Anyone who is using a Note7 at this point is, frankly, foolish. Verizon, it seems, is catering to this and is equally as foolish.
Samsung will start pushing out the update to the remaining Note7 this week so if you have one, it will be rendered dead after its final charge is depleted. If you have one, please go turn it in and get a new phone. Samsung is still offering $100 credit towards a new Samsung device through all the major carriers, including Verizon.
