Samsung starts sales of refurbished Galaxy Note 7

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday kicked off official sales of its refurbished Galaxy Note 7, whose production was suspended last year due to battery issues.

Sales of the Galaxy Note Fan Edition, which boasts all the features of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, have commenced, the tech giant said. The price tag for the Galaxy Note FE has been set at 699,600 won (US$606), which is roughly 300,000 won cheaper than when the phone was launched last year.

Taking the battery issue into consideration, the Galaxy Note FE comes with a battery capacity of 3,200 mAh, which is lower than the 3,500 mAh originally adopted by the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung allocated 400,000 units of the device for sale in South Korea through the country's three mobile carriers.

The Galaxy Note FE also comes with major features equipped with the Galaxy Note 7, including the S-Pen, along with Bixby, which was first introduced by the Galaxy S8 smartphones launched earlier this year.

The smartphone, however, does not fully support all features of the Bixby, including the voice recognition system. Users are still able to use other features, including the Bixby Home and Reminder.

The company said unlike the Galaxy Note 7, the new device can be carried aboard aircraft with no restrictions.

colin@yna.co.kr
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