It’s no longer a question of if, but it’s just a matter of when Samsung Galaxy Note 7R – the refurbished variant of the original – will be here.
Previous rumors have indicated that the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 will be unveiled in South Korea towards the end of next month. Looking at recent developments in regards to the phone, this is very possible. In fact, don’t be surprised if the Galaxy Note 7R hits the market earlier than the rumored end-of-June date. The phone has appeared on several certification bodies, among them the Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC, as well as in benchmarks. This is enough to show that the phone will be released very soon.
In addition to talk about the possible release date, the same reports have also been discussing the potential pricing strategy that Samsung will turn to in order to attract more buyers of the Galaxy Note 7R. Before today, we had heard that the refurbished unit will cost about 700,000 Korean Won, which translates to about $620. When compared to the original price of the Note 7 – 988,900 Korean Won (about $870) – this meant that the Note 7R would be an impressive $250 cheaper.
But according to a new report coming from The Investor, it’s “widely rumored” that the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 will be an impressive “50% cheaper” than the 2016 Note 7. If this is indeed true, it would mean those looking to buy the unlocked model of the Galaxy Note 7R in the U.S., which was originally valued at $850, would only need to part with about $425, but unfortunately, this phone won’t be hitting stateside stores.
Given that the Galaxy Note 7R will stick to a huge chunk of what the original model had, there’s no doubt that this would be the best deal ever – if Samsung has actually solved the fire issues. Before the Note 7 was banned, the phone had been rated highly among those who had gotten a chance to use it. With the only notable difference between the two set to be the shift from a 3500mAh battery to a 3200mAh unit – and the new Android 7.0 Nougat OS – the Note 7R priced at less than $450 would be a killer deal.
Note that this is just a rumor, but it would be interesting to see what Samsung will think of as the ideal price of the new Galaxy Note 7R. From the rumors and leaks, we know that the phone will still ship with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a QHD resolution and curved edges. Under the hood, you can expect an Exynos 8890 SoC (or Snapdragon 820) paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB – or maybe 32GB – with room for expanding it via a microSD card.
The cameras will remain unchanged at 12MP for the back and 5MP on the front and the iris scanner should also remain on board. As usual, you’ll be able to enjoy the S Pen, which is actually one of the major reasons people have fallen in love with the Galaxy Note series.