Well, that was fast! We just posted that those still holding onto their U.S. Note7 smartphones would be receiving an update starting December 19th that would effectively render their Note7s useless. Verizon, in their infinite wisdom, has announced that they will NOT be pushing out the Galaxy Note7 software update that will prevent Verizon Note7s from charging.
The company released a statement which in part reads:
Today, Samsung announced an update to the Galaxy Note7 that would stop the smartphone from charging, rendering it useless unless attached to a power charger. Verizon will not be taking part in this update because of the added risk this could pose to Galaxy Note7 users that do not have another device to switch to. We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season. We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation.
Curiously enough, instead of disabling the Note7 from charging, the Samsung Canada Note7 software update will instead disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as limit charging. While the Note7s still left on Canadian carriers won’t be able to connect to any Canadian mobile network services to make calls, use data or send text messages, they will still be able to call 911 in the case of an emergency.
It will be interesting to see if other U.S. carriers decide to push out the software update or follow Verizon’s lead and decline to do so. What do you think about Verizon’s decision to not roll out the software update? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”http://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-statement-regarding-samsung-galaxy-note7″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Verizon[/button]
