Samsung Electronics Co said yesterday that recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones will be recycled and sold starting this week in South Korea.

The Galaxy Note FE phone, using unused parts in the recalled Note 7 smartphones, will go on sale in South Korea on Friday at 700,000 won (US$611), about three-quarters of its original price.

Supply will be limited to 400,000 units and overseas sales plans will be determined later, the company said in a statement, adding that the Note FE has “perfect safety.”

The original Note 7 was one of the biggest black eyes in Samsung’s history. When it was launched in August last year, the Note 7 was Samsung’s answer to Apple Inc’s upcoming iPhone. It was also one of the most expensive Samsung phones with the price starting at US$850.

After reports emerged that its batteries were prone to overheat and catch fire, Samsung recalled the phone in less than a month of its launch and released another one with replaced batteries. However, the second batch also tended to overheat, prompting Samsung to discontinue the Note 7.

The debacle dealt a blow to Samsung’s corporate image. Aviation authorities around the world banned the pricy phone on flight and photos of scorched Note 7 circulated on social media. Samsung spent billions of dollars to recall the Note 7 and fix its damaged brand.

Earlier this year, the company released the investigation results and blamed flaws in design and production of batteries supplied by two battery makers.

After Samsung recalled millions of Note 7 phones, environmental activists have pressured the tech giant to reuse the electronics parts to reduce waste.

Samsung said the Note FE is part of its efforts to minimize waste.

Like the previous Note series, the Note FE, short for “Fan Edition,” features a jumbo screen measuring 5.7 inches (14.48 centimeters) diagonally and a stylus pen.

Samsung said earlier this week it plans to spend US$380 million to build a new home appliance factory in South Carolina, creating an estimated 950 jobs over the next three years.

It will also spend US$1.5 billion on a semiconductor plant in Texas.

By: DocMemory
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