As the prolonged garbage fire that is 2016 draws to a close, Samsung seems to finally be putting the final nails in the coffin of the Note 7 saga. Admittedly, the last couple of months have mostly been a few isolated death rattles, but believe it or not there are still some devices in the wild, in spite of the company’s best efforts to get them all back.
New numbers posted today have the U.S. return rate at a lofty 93 percent. This follows news last month that the company would be releasing a software update designed to “limit the phone’s ability to charge beyond 60 percent.” At the time, the return rate was hovering around 85 percent.
It was a start, but not quite as drastic as the steps taken by other Samsung wings, including New Zealand, where it was announced that the product would be cut off from wireless carriers altogether.
Now the company is finally taking the dramatic (or “bold” in its own words) and perhaps final step of another update designed to stop them from charging altogether. That update goes live just in time for the holidays, on December 19th, with a roll out that should take about a month or so.
It’s worth (ahem) noting that unlike the New Zealand update, this push doesn’t cut off the phone from mobile networks (and also won’t stop it from accessing Wi-Fi), so those desperately clinging to their devices can still use it while plugged in.
The company will also 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.” So perhaps our long Note nightmare is finally at an end.