In March, Samsung officially confirmed that the company intends to re-use spare components of ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 for smartphone testing purposes and also launch a refurbished phablet with safer battery in select markets provided they get approval from local regulatory authorities.
Now, eagle-eyed Samsung community blog Galaxy Club has spotted Samsung device code-named SM-N935S, understood to be the revamped Galaxy Note 7, on Wi-Fi Alliance page. Guess what, it has got the certification approved on April 24, suggesting that the launch is just around the corner.
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Interestingly, the original Galaxy Note 7 (SM-N930F) with Android Nougat OS, has received Wi-Fi Alliance certification on the same date.
[Note: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched in August 2016 came with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box].
Having said that, the original Galaxy Note 7 is not likely to be released in to the market again. It has to be noted that Wi-Fi Alliance offers certifications for both devices and software updates and we believe Samsung is ready with Nougat software, which will eventually kill the last remaining devices that are still not returned by some consumers.
As far as the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 is concerned, it is expected to be initially released in emerging Asian markets and Africa and depending on the consumer response, it might expand to developed regions.
[Note: Samsung has officially confirmed that new Galaxy Note 7 version not be released in the US.]
Will Samsung Galaxy Note7 v2.0 aka Galaxy Note 7R find takers?
As we said earlier, there are several users across the many regions who have not returned their Galaxy Note 7 to Samsung yet. This speaks volume about the loyal brand following Samsung still garners, despite the danger, the device posed to the public safety last year.
And also, the Galaxy Note 7, if not for the malfunctioning battery, would have went on to become biggest seller of 2016.
Also read: Apple registers record quarterly revenue: Thanks to iPhone 7 sales or Galaxy Note7 ban?
The Galaxy Note 7 was unarguably the best phone of 2016. It came with top-of-the-line hardware, including innovative Iris scanner, improved stylus and more to claim the top gadget of the year, but the defective battery spoiled the brand's image.
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So, we believe Samsung's plan to bring Galaxy Note 7 with safer battery definitely work especially in emerging markets like India.
Rumour has it that Samsung will use smaller 3,200mAh battery in the refurbished model and keep rest of the specifications same as seen in the original Galaxy Note 7.
Watch this space latest news on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 v2.0.
