The firm may be down, but it’s not out. Despite the disastrous life and fiery death of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, it looks like the South Korean phone maker is ready to get back in the ring by way of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. While previous reports suggested that Samsung would debut only one flagship phone in 2017 (the S8), it has now been revealed that the company is officially planning for the heir to the ill-fated Note 7. The Galaxy Note 8 will not only be offered to customers, but will be offered at half the price as a sort of olive branch. But even if it’s 50-percent off, it won’t be worth it unless the company can fix the exploding battery problem.
According to ZDNet, the monthly half off discount will be given to South Korean users who purchased the Galaxy Note 7 and subsequently exchanged the handset for the less dangerous S7 or S7 Edge. And for those who are part of the Galaxy Upgrade Program, the Galaxy S8 or Note 8 can be obtained for free with the trade-in of an S7 or S7 Edge. Of course, the program comes with the additional requirement of a two-year contract and a monthly fee for 12 months.
Members of the Galaxy Upgrade Program can also get 50 percent off display repairs, so if you suffer from butterfingers, this may not be a bad program to opt into. It’s similar to the existing Galaxy Club exchange program, but has the added benefit of being completely free to join for Note 7 users (or rather, ex-Note 7 users).
You have until November 30 to join the program, and Samsung will soon announce its start date. Currently, it’s slated to be made available only to South Korean customers, though there might be a chance that the program will go international in the coming months.
So don’t despair the Galaxy Note phones altogether yet, friends — we’re giving it another try in 2017.
