Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Won't Be Remotely Deactivated, Confirms Company

Following reports from earlier this week, Samsung has denied it will remotely deactivate old Galaxy Note 7 units from September 30 to ensure that no faulty handset remains in the market.

The tech giant told Android Central that the reports are untrue, and that it doesn't plan on doing any such thing. Furthermore, Samsung said that if any such decision were to be made in the future, then it would put out a statement on its website informing its customers about it.

Reports of Samsung deactivating Galaxy Note 7 units remotely surfaced on Reddit earlier this week, with a user claiming a Samsung customer care employee was the source of the news. The Redditor also claimed that Samsung would begin shipping out packages with a new Galaxy Note 7 handset, a free Gear VR, and a bag to hand back the old handset.

For now, the company has put out a statement urging customers to exchange their old handsets immediately. Cases of explosion have been reported worldwide, the recent casualties being a jeep owner and man whose garage caught fire because the Galaxy Note 7 was left on charge unattended.

Samsung has halted sales and shipments of the Galaxy Note 7, and will only recommence after the exchange process is over. This recall is expected to cost the company up to $1 billion. As the handset is now a safety hazard, airlines all over the world, including India, have banned the use of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on flights.