14 DAY TRIAL // The Galaxy Note 7 is done for, but Samsung's issues stemming from the discontinuation of the smartphone are now starting to pile up. Not many customers know that very rare materials are needed to manufacture a modern smartphone.
When the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was discontinued and the production stopped, most of these materials could've been used for the production of other smartphones. But what about the Galaxy Note 7 units that have already been sold and recalled?
At the end of the recall process, Samsung must be in possession of around 3 million Galaxy Note 7 devices. Since they have been tagged as “hazardous products,” they will need to be destroyed, especially that Samsung doesn't have a clue about why its flagship exploded.
However, destroying millions of smartphones will mean wasting all those very rare materials that Samsung could reuse in other devices if they could be saved from destruction.
According to Reuters, the South Korean company recently announced that it is looking for ways to limit the potential environmental impact of the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung's announcement comes after environmental group Greenpeace issued a statement of its own demanding the handset maker to find ways to reuse some of the rare materials, including gold, cobalt, palladium and tungsten, in the discontinued Galaxy Note 7.
“We recognize the concerns around the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 and are currently reviewing possible options that can minimize the environmental impact of the recall in full compliance with relevant local environmental regulations,” reads Samsung's official statement.
The phone maker has yet to offer any details on how it plans to get rid of all the recalled Galaxy Note 7 units, and whether or not some of the materials used at manufacture will be salvaged.
A decision could be made only after the South Korean company finds the real reason behind the Galaxy Note 7 explosions, which won't happen until later this year.