14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung has already started to take drastic measures against Galaxy Note 7 owners who have yet to return their phones. In the United States, the handset maker will push a software update to Galaxy Note 7 units that will prevent the battery from charging, thus turning them into a brick.
On top of that, those who still own the phablet won't be able to connect to any mobile network in the country. A similar update will be rolled out across Europe, though it will only limit the phone's battery charge to just 30%.
According to Samsung's statements, the South Korean company confirmed high Galaxy Note 7 return rates in the U.S and Europe as more than 90% have already been returned by users.
Even so, the handset maker wants to push the return rate even higher, which is why it announced the software update that will cripple the Galaxy Note 7's capabilities starting this month.
However, the situation is slightly different on Samsung's home turf, as the Korean media reports the company only managed to retrieve slightly more than 80% of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold in the country.
Although the return rate in South Korean is about 10% lower than the global average, Samsung hasn't enforced any software update that would limit the Galaxy Note 7's capabilities.
Samsung completed a replacement program in South Korea that tried to convince Galaxy Note 7 owners to return their phones and exchange them for the company's Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge smartphones.
Even if Samsung offered slightly better incentives in South Korea than those aimed at other regions, it seems that didn't impress Galaxy Note 7 owners in the country who've decided to keep their phones.
It remains to be seen whether or not Samsung will roll out the software update that cripples the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea as well.