Galaxy Note 7 Recall: Samsung Will Kill Remaining Devices With Software Update

Following a massive recall effort, Samsung will remotely disable the remaining active Galaxy Note 7 handsets before the end of this month, according to a report from the Korea Herald.

Samsung will force a software update to the devices still in the wild that will prevent the phones from being charged, effectively putting an end to the flagship phone that was known for occasionally exploding.

Read: Samsung Talks Galaxy Note 7 At CES 2017 Press Conference

The remote shutdown of the devices is the final part of the company’s efforts to end usage of the Galaxy Note 7. The company previously ran recall and exchange programs that resulted in the return of 96 percent of the devices, according to the company. The recall cost Samsung more than $5 billion and led to a significant drop off in phone sales.

The Korean tech maker began recalling the device after reports of several Galaxy Note 7s exploding and resulting in serious damage. In response to one of the handsets exploding on a plane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned the Note 7 from being used on flights.

Samsung has worked to try to limit the potential damage caused by the Note 7 for those who have insisted on hanging on to the device. Late last year, the company pushed out an update that capped the handset at 60 percent charging capacity and issued an on-screen prompt encouraging the user to return the recalled device.

The company has also tried a number of different ways of rendering the phone useless. In Canada, the company pushed a software update that disabled the cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity of the devices. In New Zealand, it blocked the phone from connecting to mobile networks.

With the final forced software update designed to brick the device for good, Samsung is making good on a promise it made last year. It issued a warning that it would begin shutting down the last of the devices this way, including pushing the updates through major carriers in the United States.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Investigation Finds Battery Caused Phone To Catch Fire

Earlier this year, Samsung revealed the findings of its investigation into what caused the Note 7 to explode with such frequency. According to the company’s analysis, the issue stemmed from the battery used in the device.

The Note 7 shipped with one of two different batteries, both of which suffered from their own issues. The first battery, produced by a Samsung subsidiary, had a defect that caused short circuiting and eventually explosion. A second supplier offered a battery that suffered from problems in manufacturing that led to explosions.

While Samsung has held the issue stemmed solely from the batteries and not the device itself, third-party analysis has suggested the design of the phone itself was the primary problem.