SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Samsung Electronics said yesterday its recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones will be recycled and sold starting this week in South Korea.
The Galaxy Note FE phone, using unused parts in the recalled Note 7 smartphones, will go on sale in South Korea on Friday at 700,000 won ($611 or around P31,000), about three quarters of its original price.
The company said the supply will be limited to 400,000 units. Overseas sales plans will be determined later, it said in a statement.
Samsung said the Note FE has “perfect safety.”
The original Note 7 was one of the biggest black eyes in Samsung’s history. When it was launched in August 2016, the Note 7 was Samsung’s answer to Apple’s upcoming iPhone. It was also one of the most expensive Samsung phones with the price starting at $850 (P43,000).
But after reports emerged that its batteries were prone to overheat and catch fire, Samsung recalled the phone in less than a month of its launch and released another one with replaced batteries. But the second batch also tended to overheat, prompting Samsung to discontinue the Note 7.