Samsung Galaxy Note 7 refurbished: everything you need to know

Update: Another report of the Galaxy Note FE suggests the phone will launch in South Korea on July 7, but there's still no plan for the rest of the world. Samsung may also only be making 400,000 handsets for this release.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was a fantastic phone that we gave four and a half stars to, but sadly it had a little problem of the odd unit catching fire and being a big safety hazard.

Samsung then recalled every Note 7 and since then all the units have been sitting in a warehouse, but Samsung has now confirmed it plans to use those phone parts for refurbished versions of the handset.

What name the phone will have is currently unclear. Originally we heard word of it being called the Note 7 R, but a new rumor suggests it’ll be the Samsung Galaxy Note FE.

FE is rumored to stand for “Fan Edition” and it’d make sense for Samsung to avoid the Note 7 name, even though it’s refurbished. It's important to note this phone isn't the Galaxy Note 8 - that's expected to be an entirely new phone that will come out in August or September this year.

Below you’ll find all the rumors and news we’ve heard so far about the return of the Galaxy Note 7.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Samsung's refurbished Galaxy Note 7, a discontinued phablet from 2016
When is it out? Early July seems to be the launch, but it may not come to the west
What will it cost? Less than the Galaxy Note 7 - around $620, £480 or AU$840

Samsung Galaxy Note FE release date

Samsung has yet to confirm the release date for the refurbished Galaxy Note 7, but rumors suggest the phone will come around the end of June or during July.

One source claims Samsung will launch the phone on July 7, but it will only be available in South Korea. Another source has said the company plans to make 400,000 devices to sell, so that may not be enough to release in other markets.

A release date for other markets is currently unclear, and it may be Samsung decides it won’t sell the new version of the phone outside of its home market of Korea.

We’ll be sure to update here when we know more about Samsung’s worldwide release plans for the Galaxy Note FE.

Samsung Galaxy Note FE design and display

This phone is set to be hosted in the same body as the original Note 7. The plan is to reuse the body for the Galaxy Note FE, but use different battery tech, as the battery was the original problem with the Note 7.

That means the refurbished Note 7 will likely come with a 5.7-inch QHD dual-edge display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. That equals 518 pixels-per-inch.

Dimensions wise we can expect the phone to be 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm, which is a touch smaller than the Galaxy S8 Plus. The weight of the original Note 7 was 169g, but this new version may be a bit lighter if a smaller battery is used.

A new report on iNews24 in Korea suggests the refurbished Note 7 will come in the same colors as the original Note 7 too. That's not a huge surprise and means the phone will come in blue, silver, gold and black.

It's also expected Samsung will put a big R on the back of the phone to make it clear it's a refurbished unit - though that may only be the case if it's called the Note 7 R, rather than the Note FE.

Samsung Galaxy Note FE specs

Leaked info suggests the Samsung Galaxy Note FE will have the same specs as the Note 7, so that's an Exynos 8890 chipset and 4GB of RAM. We’d also expect it to come with 64GB of storage and 256GB of microSD support too.

It’s expected to launch with the latest Android 7 software on board, and it may see the upgrade to Android O when that launches later this year. It's also expected to feature a 12MP rear camera and 5MP selfie shooter.

The iris and fingerprint scanners will likely make a return to help you unlock your phone.

One report even claimed that Samsung's virtual assistant Bixby will be included on the Galaxy Note FE, which comes as a surprise as we expected the next phone to get the upgrade to be the Galaxy Note 8.

The biggest change when it comes to specs will likely be a 3,200mAh battery. The Note 7 had a 3,500mAh cell, but that was the problem with the original phone so Samsung is expected to replace it for the refurbished version.

That means the battery should fit better into the body of the Note 7 FE and shouldn't cause any problems this time around.

Samsung Galaxy Note FE price

We expected Samsung to cut the price heavily for the Note FE and if a rumor is to be believed the company has reduced it to around $620, £480 or AU$840 compared to $880 (£749, AU$1,349) for the original Note 7.

That’s based on a leak of 699,600 won in South Korea, but there are no specific details directly from Samsung yet.

Although it's not clear if the Note 7 FE will come to the US, UK or Australia, we heavily expect the Note 8 to come out in these markets later this year. The latest rumors suggest it may even launch as early as August this year.