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Samsung to disable Galaxy Note 7 phones in recall effort

Samsung to disable Galaxy Note 7 phones in recall effort

TIL Desk/Business/Washington-Samsung announced today it would disable its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in the US market to force remaining owners to stop using the devices, which were recalled for safety reasons.

The South Korean electronics giant, the world’s biggest smartphone vendor, said 93 percent of Note 7 phones in the United States had been returned to the company after its recall earlier this year, which came amid reports of devices exploding or catching fire. But to get any remaining devices off the market, Samsung said it would deliver an over-the-air update that prevents the phones from charging.

“To further increase participation (in the recall), a software update will be released starting on December 19 that will prevent US Galaxy Note 7 devices from charging and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices,” Samsung said in a statement.

The company recalled some 2.5 million Note 7s in 10 markets following complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging, and then had to expand that as reports emerged of replacement phones also catching fire.

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