For the last few months, there have been numerous reports about Samsung refurbishing the Galaxy Note 7 units it recovered last year. According to those reports, the phone will be rebranded as Galaxy Note 7R, where the “R” stands for refurbished. Furthermore, the refurbished phones will be sold in emerging markets as well as the possibility of penetrating the U.S. and European markets.
After initially refuting reports of selling the refurbished phones, it seems like everything is moving forward in terms of certifications. According to the official Bluetooth SIG website, Samsung was recently granted a certificate for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7R. This means that the refurbished phone passed the tests done on its Bluetooth module.
Prior to this, there were also reports that Samsung has been granted safety certificates by the FCC for the said phone. Although, at the moment, it is still uncertain when the company will introduce the Galaxy Note 7R to the North American market.
On other notes, Samsung is waiting for the approval from the South Korean National Radio Research Agency or NRRA. According to The Investor, once the safety certificate has been issued, Samsung will release the Galaxy Note 7R in South Korea.
As mentioned, even though Samsung has already gained the approval from the FCC, it is still uncertain when the U.S. re-release of the phone will be.
One interesting tidbit about the release of the refurbished phone is its price. According to earlier rumors, Samsung originally thought of reducing the price by as much as $200. Now, the new report from The Investor suggests that the phone could be priced at around 50 percent of the original.
Unfortunately, even Samsung officials did not elaborate on the supposed release of the phone. However, the same article claims that South Korean resale can take place as early as the end of May. On other markets though, it seems like June is a likely date for the release.
Check Also: Best Phones Under 5000 INR