It was previously reported that Samsung could be releasing an update that will permanently disable the remaining units of the recalled Galaxy Note 7 that are still out in the wild on Dec. 15.
Samsung has confirmed that such an update is on its way to stubborn users in the United States who are still holding on to the device despite the risk of its battery exploding and catching fire.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 To Turn Into Bricks
The update that Samsung will be rolling out to all remaining Galaxy Note 7 units held by customers will prevent the devices from charging, which will effectively turn the smartphones into bricks once the remaining charge in their battery runs out.
The previous report on the Dec. 15 date for the rollout of the update is a bit off though, as Samsung said that it will be released on Dec. 19.
According to the dedicated webpage for the Galaxy Note 7 recall program in Samsung's official website, there has been an overwhelming participation in the program so far, with over 93 percent of all recalled Galaxy Note 7 units now returned.
However, with the update that will prevent Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from charging, Samsung is looking to bring in all remaining units to complete the controversial device's recall. It is estimated that there are still about 133,000 units that are out there.
With the same goal, Samsung Canada earlier reported that it is cutting off carrier connectivity to all Galaxy Note 7 units that are still operating in the country on Dec. 15.
Verizon Not Participating In The Update
Samsung will be launching the update to disable Galaxy Note 7 devices through most of the major carriers in the United States, not all of them. This is because Verizon has released a statement that it will not be participating in the rollout.
According to Verizon global corporate communications VP Jeffrey Nelson, the update that Samsung is planning to release will be an added risk to current Galaxy Note 7 owners, as they might not have another smartphone that they could use in its place.
"We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note 7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season," Nelson wrote in the statement, explaining that it does not want to make it impossible for Galaxy Note 7 owners to make the necessary calls if they find themselves in emergency situations.
There is no indication on whether Verizon will instead launch the update to disable charging for the Galaxy Note 7 at a later date, though Nelson did reiterate the call for owners of the device to have their smartphone returned or exchanged. While the Galaxy Note 7 might not have yet exploded, hardware engineers believe that the battery of the smartphone will still experience massive swelling in the future.
