Ever since the Galaxy Note 7 production line was halted, Samsung has been working hard on recalling all of the device units. While they have been successful for the most part, some Canadians are still holding on to the device. But they will no longer be able to use the phone come next week, as all of its connectivity features will be disabled by the electronics giant. Bitcoin users holding on to this phone may want to take notice of these changes.
Samsung Will Remotely End The Remaining Galaxy Note 7 Devices
Even though it seems virtually impossible that any bitcoin user is still holding on to the Galaxy Note 7 these days, Samsung has noted that quite a few of these devices are still being used. To be more precise, the majority of these devices are located in Canada, for some unknown reason. Some people never turned in the Note 7 over its battery concerns, but using the phone will soon become virtually impossible.
Samsung has announced that they will halt all communication protocols on these devices as of next week. Phones will still turn on, but there is no cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth connectivity. In doing so, the technology giant will turn these devices into an effective brick–an expensive brick, but still a brick.
Come December 12th, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth protocols will be disabled on all remaining Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices in circulation. Cellular connectivity will be turned off a few days later. It seems unlikely that device owners can circumvent this problem through an update, even though no one is sure how Samsung plans to target these specific phones exactly. If it were to occur through an update, device owners could just reject it, which would not be the most favorable outcome.
It is not the first time that Samsung will have cut off the cellular network in a particular country, though. The company did so in New Zealand earlier in 2016. It is evident that Samsung wants to end the Galaxy Note 7 debacle once and for all, but that is rather difficult when some of these devices continue to be used around the world.
What is rather intriguing is how the company will go to such “extreme” lengths to get the job done. Over 90% of all Note 7 devices in Canada have been turned in since Samsung told the world they should do so. One may think that these harsher measures are justified, but it is worrisome to think that a manufacturer can cut communications on a global scale with such relative ease.
Canada is not the only country where Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices are still being used to this very day, though. The technology giant didn’t specify if other nations will be affected by these restrictions in the future, but it is not out of the question either.
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