Galaxy Note 7 will soon be blacklisted by New Zealand carriers

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will soon be blacklisted by carriers in New Zealand, it has been announced. The blacklisting will take place in two weeks, and will render any Galaxy Note 7 phones remaining in service unusable. The move is necessary to ensure that customers replace the phone with an alternative that isn't prone to catching on fire...something viewed as important for public, as well as personal, safety. It is estimated a 'few hundred' Galaxy Note 7 devices are still being used in New Zealand.

The Galaxy Note 7, of course, is Samsung's fire-prone smartphone and the subject of a global recall after attempts to fix the problem failed. Consumers are highly encouraged to return their phones for a replacement, and those who still haven't are now facing the possibility of crippled or entirely unusable handsets. For example, Samsung will soon push out an update that prevents the phones from charging beyond 60-percent.

While that will cripple the physical handsets, New Zealand carriers will soon remove all incentives for Samsung customers in the nation to keep them. Once the blacklist goes into effect, users will not be able to access data, make calls, or send texts using the Galaxy Note 7.

The announcement was made recently by the nation's Telecommunications Forum's chief executive Geoff Thorn. The handset has already been banned by many places in many countries. China recently made the formal announcement of a nationwide ban on Galaxy Note 7 devices in aircraft, for example.

SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz