By 
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an amazing piece of hardware if you ignore the fact that Samsung has issued a global recall on the device and is prepping a new update that will essentially brick these $750 phones. Samsung has been very transparent in its efforts to cripple Note 7 devices that are still in the wild, but die-hard fans are doing everything they can to hang on to their phone.
The r/GalaxyNote7 subreddit and XDA Developers forum is full of people who refuse to return their phone to their carrier for an exchange, even when offered devices like the iPhone 7, Pixel XL, and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge as a trade-in option. These people believe these phones are objectively inferior to their Note 7 devices, despite the looming threat of owning a bricked phone.
Carriers aren’t helping much, as Verizon has stated it will not issue the update that will kill these devices due to not wanting to leave its customers stranded without a phone during the holiday season. So what are some of the arguments these die-hard fans are using to justify keeping their phones? Let’s have a peek.
Chippy_boy: Mine still works perfectly thanks, and with no sign of any IMEI block here in the UK, I am sure it will continue to work perfectly for as long as I wish to keep it.
Rado_vr6: their product? sorry but I paid full price for mine so I own it not them.and yes they offered a 10 month old, small screened device with half the memory and no Spen as a replacement. total BS and hardly an acceptable offer.
that said if they do end up offering a heavy discount for note 7 owners on their next samsung device that would somewhat attone for the previous insult at least.
This user on the XDA Developers forum seems paranoid that Samsung would try and push an update through its browser. Nevermind the fact that an IMEI block would render his phone completely unusable despite all the measures he’s taken to insure he’s block Samsung’s attempts to disable his phone.
teegunn: I have all update apk’s disabled. But I have been wondering what other ways they could possibly push and update. I use the Samsung browser on my N7 (also use Chrome and Boat browser, but mostly the stock Sammy browser) – I wonder if they can push an OTA through their own browser? Or how about any of the other samsung/touchwiz apps Samsung loaded on the N7 stock? Just a thought I had.
Someone else posted in the thread entitled, “Who is still using their Note 7?” and asked why these Note 7 users want to endanger those around them just to hang on to a phone they really, really love. Here’s one response to that question.
I assume you and they never make a journey for pleasure, or eat sweets/candy. You’re at far more risk traveling in cars, crossing the road, indulging in a suboptimal diet.
Someone else recommends Note 7 owners who are worried about receiving an OTA update that kills the phone to flash the Hydra ROM, which is still receiving updates and functions as a near stock version of the Note 7 ROM just without the ability to receive those dreaded OTA updates.
ccsuk: I can’t recommend rooting plus flashing hydra rom enough. Anyone worried about forced updates has nothing to lose. Samsung aren’t going to be releasing any worthwhile firmware plus hydra is close to stock and is getting updated.
It’s pretty obvious that people are going to great lengths to keep a phone that has been recalled globally and on December 19th, will be killed via an OTA update. What do you think? Are you one of these die-hard Galaxy Note 7 owners who refuses to give up the device? Or do you think these people are delusional for holding on to a fire hazard for so long?
Comments