It appears that the end is imminent for the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Samsung is reportedly set to release a firmware update for the US model of the smartphone to prevent it from charging, which after draining the battery, will render the device useless.
This information, which was first reported by The Verge, is based on an SMS from US Cellular that says, "As of December 15, Samsung will modify the software to prevent the Galaxy Note 7 from charging. The phone will no longer work."
The Note 7 was recalled back in mid-September after reports of multiple units exploding or bursting into flames. Samsung replaced the devices with "safer" ones. However, the company was forced to recall these replacements units as well in mid-October when the devices were found to be prone to overheating.
Samsung has confirmed that it is planning on disabling the Note 7's charging ability through a software update.
This decision by Samsung has been in the works over the course of the past few weeks. The South Korean company has partnered with different operators based in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to end network access and limit the allowed maximum charge of the battery for Note 7 users. This has led to speculations that the firm would ultimately discontinue servicing the model soon.
Since Note 7 owners in the United States were the most reluctant to comply with the second recall and return their units in exchange for either a different device or a full cash refund, it does makes sense for Samsung to start the termination program in that country first.
Once the upgrade has been released, Note 7 units will be completely unusable when their batteries run flat. Samsung is still offering consumers who own the faulty device the opportunity to return or exchange it for another handset.
Samsung stated that 93 percent of the phones have been returned in the US so far, and to further increase participation, the software update is set to be released on December 19.