Like a phoenix from the flames, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is back

Why it matters to you

Samsung is giving some people the chance to buy a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 phone that (probably) won’t explode.

The Galaxy Note 7, which Samsung previously recalled due to a problem which caused some batteries to explode, has been re-introduced as the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition. The new phone will initially be released in South Korea in limited numbers; but Samsung hasn’t entirely ruled out launching the device outside its home market in the future.

If you’re questioning why you’d want to buy a phone that once had the unfortunate desire to burst into flames, it’s not exactly the same as before. Samsung hasn’t reused returned Galaxy Note 7 phones for the Note 7 Fan Edition, or Note 7 FE as it’s also known; but has chosen to refurbish the Note 7 phones that hadn’t been sold. Therefore the devices are made of unused components, rather than ones which may have been compromised before.

The big internal alteration is a new 3,200mAh battery, down from the 3,500mAh cell used in the Galaxy Note 7 when it was originally launched. The battery’s physical size and proximity to the device’s body was a contributing factor to the Note 7’s problems, and altering the design like this should avoid the same thing happening again. Additionally, Samsung says the battery and phone have been through a, “rigorous eight-point battery safety test.” Samsung is highly unlikely to put out a second Note 7 phone that has even the slightest chance of exploding.

Another alteration is the addition of the software used on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, including the Bixby virtual assistant. Samsung would have almost certainly updated the original Note 7’s software to include Bixby at some point, should the phone have stayed on sale. It’s not clear if Bixby’s complete functionality has been carried across, but Bixby Home and Reminder are both mentioned. The hardware appears to be identical, with the S Pen stylus, IP68 water resistance, plus the iris recognition feature. You’ll know a Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition is in your hands because it has “Fan Edition” engraved on the back.

Samsung will put 400,000 Note 7 Fan Edition phones on sale in South Korea on July 7 for the local equivalent of about $610. That’s around $200 less than the Note 7 cost at launch. The Note 7 Fan Edition’s release not only allows Samsung to claw back some of the investment it made in producing the device, but also minimize the environmental impact that would have been caused by disposing of so many unused phones.

Will the Note 7 Fan Edition be sold elsewhere? Samsung says it will decide if the phone is sold overseas at a later date. Rumors of a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 have spread for a while, but sales in the U.S. have rarely been mentioned.