Samsung Throttles Battery Life Of Unreturned ‘Note 7s,’ Damage Could Be Irreparable

Samsung’s “Galaxy Note 7” troubles are not over yet, with the U.S. federal government breathing down the company’s neck and with so many users of the handset refusing to return the device. In a desperate bid to contain the situation, Samsung is releasing an update that will slash the battery life of the phablet. Even with all the steps that the South Korean smartphone maker is taking, however, some analysts are saying that the damage might be irreparable.

One of the biggest reasons for why Samsung is having some difficulty convincing customers to return the “Note 7” device is their lack of communication with U.S government officials. These agencies could have taken some steps to spread awareness of the dangers of using the device that might contain defective batteries. Instead, Samsung decided to reach out to consumers directly.

Clearly, this is not working out, which is why Samsung is now releasing an update that will significantly lower the battery life of all “Note 7” phablets that are still in customers' hands, CNET reports. The reduction will slash 40 percent of the battery life of the devices, which helps reduce the dangers associated with the batteries. Also, it would possibly force users to return the phablets once the fast battery drain becomes annoying enough.

Even with these steps taken, Android Headlines is of the opinion that this unfortunate development might have caused lasting damage to Samsung’s reputation. Aside from the fact that the company just issued one of the biggest smartphone recalls and are struggling to get it done, the damages inflicted could be considered of a more severe nature compared to other smartphones and makers.

With two devastating fires and an incident involving an injured child, few smart devices can claim to have a more substantial threat to the consumers. Samsung could lose the trust of its fan base forever, which is more damaging to the company than the $20 billion in value that they have lost.