The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was considered to be one of the biggest tech blunders of 2016. The Note 7 made headlines around the world with its defect that caused a small percentage of batteries to internally combust and present a major danger to its owners. Samsung was required to recall all of the Note 7 smartphones and it did a great job at taking care of its customers with Galaxy S7 replacements and bill credits. However, Note fans are a whole different breed of phones owners, where they want nothing but the best in every aspect of a smartphone.
In order to appease its most loyal Note fans, as well as save on parts that were already manufactured, Samsung is rereleasing the Galaxy Note 7. It’s going to have a smaller 3200mAh (down from 3500mAh) battery that meets all of Samsung’s newest battery certifications. It’a also going to come with a new name – The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition. All of the parts used in building the Note 7FE are brand new and have never been used, so this phone is not something you can call refurbished. It’s also going to come with a lower starting price at just $600, which is a solid deal considering the build and internal specs. The only downside to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7FE is its limited release of 400,000 units to just Samsung’s hometown of South Korea. I’m hoping it sells well in South Korea so Samsung possibly opens up the Note 7FE for sale in the US.
It has been long enough since the Note 7 fire debacle where consumers no longer fear Samsung phones or products. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are the best-selling Android phones of 2017 so far and there hasn’t been one legitimate report of a fire. There aren’t even reports of the Galaxy S8 getting too hot while charging. It’s pretty clear Samsung learned its lesson from its mistake in 2016 and is looking to continue its global smartphone dominance.
If you’re disappointed like I am that you can’t get your hands on the Note 7 Fan Edition, you can take solace in the fact that the next Note should be announced in the next two months. Given the track record of the Note line, it should be nothing short of impressive. The Note lineup always outshines the Galaxy S lineup, with a better processor, memory, and larger display. I’m a huge fan of the Galaxy S8 this year and if the Note 8 can improve upon it, I have no doubts it will be a hit.
Note 7FE Specs
- Dimensions – 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm (6.04 x 2.91 x 0.31 in)
- Weight – 169g
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- IP68 dust/water proof over 1.5m and 30 minutes
- Stylus
- Super AMOLED 5.7″ display (1440 x 2560)
- Processor – Exynos 8890
- 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory expandable via microSD
- Bixby smart assistant
- Rear Camera – 12MP, f/1,7, 26mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS
- 3.5mm audio jack
- USB 3.1 Type-C