The faulty Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is almost unavailable to the public, nearly five months after its worldwide recall began.
The handset garnered positive reviews post release until reports about battery explosion emerged, which led to Samsung issuing a global recall for the flagship handset.
Samsung's nightmare is finally going to come to a close as it has shared that over 96 percent of Galaxy Note 7 units have been returned.
"By leveraging our digital technology to target each device, we've had over 96 percent of Galaxy Note7 phones returned to date," shared the company.
Samsung also asserted that it had worked relentlessly in tandem with network operators to ensure that the liabilities of the handsets, which were not being returned, would be limited. This move led to more people coming forward and returning the faulty Galaxy Note 7.
Initially when the exploding battery reports emerged, since the affected devices posed a safety risk, Samsung along with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), carriers and retailers asked owners to return the device for a different unit or opt for a refund. However, as the issue became more concerning, the company had to completely ban the product.
The company issued a software update in December 2016, which disabled the Galaxy Note 7's charging abilities. At the time, the company had got only 85 percent of the recalled handset. The increase to 96 percent since this time reflects that the strong action from Samsung bore the desired results.
Samsung thanked airports, airlines, its partners, the United States Department of Transportation, as well as owners of the Galaxy Note 7 handset for "their patience and support during this time."
Airlines No Longer Need To Make Special Notifications
Samsung also shared that the United States Department of Transportation has removed the caveat and airlines are no longer required to make pre-boarding announcements to alert passengers.
For the unfamiliar, after incidents of the Galaxy Note 7 battery exploding, passengers all over the world were barred from using the handset on the flight and had to keep the device switched off through the journey to avoid any untoward incident.
In September 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited the use of the Galaxy Note 7 inside any aircraft.
The Path Forward
At the Consumer Electronics Show 2017, Tim Baxter, Samsung Americas' CEO, made a reference to the Galaxy Note 7 and shared that the company would be outing a report on the faulty handset soon.
The South Korean smartphone maker is expected to reveal the details of its investigation this month.
Despite the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung is expected to continue the popular series and one could possibly see the Galaxy Note 8 make its debut in the latter half of 2017.
