Samsung is expected to launch the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 as the Galaxy Note FE in South Korea and a Korean retailer now lists the device, complete with specs and pricing details.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from last year made huge waves for all the wrong reasons, as its battery kept exploding and Samsung had to pull it off the market. The company recalled the Galaxy Note 7 twice because the battery was not safe, and now it's planning to launch the device a third time.
The refurbished Galaxy Note 7, hopefully this time with a non-explosive battery, is rumored to hit the market in Korea as the Galaxy Note FE, where "FE" reportedly stands for "Fandom Edition."
Samsung Galaxy Note FE Retail Listing
Samsung has yet to offer official details, but Korean retailer Danawa now lists the Galaxy Note FE with a 699,600 KRW, which would translate to roughly $623. According to this listing, the Galaxy Note FE will be available in South Korea on three mobile carriers: KT, SKT, and LG U+.
The retail listing further details the purported specifications of the Galaxy Note FE, and it falls in line with what has already been rumored for the refurbished Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note FE Specs
More specifically, Danawa lists the Galaxy Note FE with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED curved display with a QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels), an octa-core 64-bit Exynos 8890 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of expandable storage, and a 3,200 mAh battery.
Other specs include a 12-megapixel main camera, a 5-megapixel front shooter, Android Marshmallow on board out of the box, and Samsung's own UI on top. The OS version seems a bit odd since the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 was rumored to come with Android Nougat, but it could launch with Marshmallow on board and get an update to Nougat afterward.
The Galaxy Note FE is expected to be nearly identical to the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, save for one major difference: the battery. The Galaxy Note 7 featured a 3,500 mAh battery, but the Galaxy Note FE will reportedly pack a 3,200 mAh unit that should be safe from overheating and exploding.
In terms of design, the Galaxy Note FE looks identical to the Galaxy Note 7, boasting a sleek metal-and-glass construction that looks and feels premium. Considering the mess the Galaxy Note 7 made with its exploding batteries, however, it remains to be seen whether consumers will trust Samsung enough to buy the Galaxy Note FE.
After all, Samsung also said the Galaxy Note 7 was safe when it launched it the second time, following the first recall, and that didn't quite turn out right. The device was still not safe and the company had to pull it off the market again. Maybe the third time's a charm?
For those who don't feel comfortable buying a refurbished Galaxy Note 7, meanwhile, Samsung already has the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagships on sale, and it's also expected to launch a more powerful Galaxy Note 8 later this year.
Would you buy the Galaxy Note FE, or would you rather go for some other flagship? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
