Samsung recently confirmed that an update that will prevent Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from charging will soon be released in the United States.
The update, which was said to be rolled out starting Dec. 19, will look to bring in all the units of the recalled device that still remain held by customers.
The Release Dates Of Carriers For The Final Galaxy Note 7 Update
Earlier reports on the update, which will effectively brick the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones once the charge in their batteries run out, did not specify a release date, only stating that the rollout will begin on Dec. 19.
The specific release dates for the update are now known, which should get customers who are still holding on to the Galaxy Note 7 ample time to say goodbye to the powerful but dangerous device.
The first carrier that will be launching the last Galaxy Note 7 update is T-Mobile, which will do so on Dec. 27. It will be followed by AT&T early next year on Jan. 5, and then by Sprint a few days later on Jan. 8.
Verizon, as previously reported, said that it will not be participating in the rollout of the update, claiming that it will not permanently disable the smartphone during the middle of the holiday travel season. The reason behind this is that the carrier does not want customers who are still using the Galaxy Note 7 to be cut off from communications in case an emergency situation arises.
Up to the end of its life in the United States, the Galaxy Note 7 is proving to be controversial, as carriers are holding out on launching the final update long after the Dec. 19 date initially released by Samsung. In fact, in Verizon's case, the carrier has not yet even stated that it will roll out the update at all.
Galaxy Note 7 Recall Program Ending Soon
The launch of the update that will disable charging for the smartphone means that the recall program for the Galaxy Note 7 will end soon, as the life of the smartphone comes to a grinding halt in the United States.
Samsung said that 93 percent of the recalled Galaxy Note 7 units in the United States have been returned and exchanged for another device, but there are still 133,000 units that are being used by customers.
While the Galaxy Note 7 units that are still out in the wild may not have exploded, the smartphone continues to be a fire hazard due to its aggressively designed battery. According to hardware engineers, with the way that the batteries of the device are built, there will eventually be massive swelling.
