Three words: destroy them all.
Yes, you heard that one right.
Samsung plans to destroy all the Galaxy Note 7s that are being returned to the company after it ordered all users of the devices to turn in the device in exchange for either another Samsung smartphone (or any other device available as per the customer’s agreements with the retailer or carrier) or a full refund.
With over 2.5 million Note 7 units having been recalled by the company immediately after concerns were raised of the device’s safety after it started exploding, it is expected that Samsung will be getting back a similar number of devices or even higher.
According to Motherboard, since smartphones are never recycled as it is only cost-effective to recycle very few components, Samsung plans to safely dispose off all the Note 7s.
With reports emerging that the UK’s postal service has refused to deliver Galaxy Note 7s being returned to their places of purchase and to Samsung by their owners, the company has been availing special fireproof safe return boxes to facilitate transfer of the ill-fated device. Even then, transfer of the device is restricted to land with air travel totally out of the question.
Major airlines around the world and civil aviation authorities have over the last one month been alerting travellers not to pack the Galaxy Note 7 in their checked-in luggage and not to turn on or charge the device once they get on the plane with warnings before take off being a standard practice by the time Samsung permanently pulled the device from the market. In Africa, South African Airways, Rwandair and Kenya Airways have been warning travellers of the dangers of having the Note 7 with them on their flights.
Samsung has permanently ceased production of the device as it counts the losses incurred to its accounting books and the damage to both its reputation and brand image. The company has been forced to cut its Q3 2016 operating profit projections by $2.3 billion in the wake of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.
Reuters estimates that Samsung will lose $17 billion as a result of the device’s cancellation from the nearly 20 million units it had hoped to sell.
