Looks like Verizon will be the lone carrier in the Note 7 resistance.
AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have all announced plans to move ahead with a software update that will effectively kill any outstanding Note 7 devices.
The move follows Samsung’s declaration on Friday that it is planning to release a software update to prevent remaining Note 7 devices in the market from charging, rendering them useless. The update is meant to neutralize consumer Note 7 devices that are still outstanding despite back-to-back recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission after reports the device’s battery overheated, either causing the phone to catch fire or explode. According to Samsung, around 93 percent of all Note 7 phones have been returned, but that leaves around 7 percent of devices still outstanding in consumer pockets.
Samsung slated the update’s release for December 19, but noted individual carriers may distribute the update at different times.
In a statement on Monday, T-Mobile said it will be pushing out the update just after Christmas because it believes the move is the “right thing” to do for its customers.
“We always want to do the right thing and make sure our customers are safe, so on Dec. 27 we will roll out Samsung’s latest software update, which is designed to stop all remaining Note7 devices from charging,” the Un-carrier said. “These devices were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Oct. 13 and should no longer be used. T-Mobile customers who still have a Note7 should immediately power down and stop using the device, and bring it back to a T-Mobile store for a full refund and a replacement device.”
Similarly, Sprint said it will send out the update on January 8, noting in its announcement that “customer safety is our highest priority.” AT&T has also confirmed it will take part in pushing the update, sending out text messages to customers on Friday to let them know about the pending death blow. According to the text, AT&T’s push of the update will happen on January 5.
The decision from T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T to kill the Note 7 follows Verizon’s declaration on Friday thatit would not send out the update to its customers.
Interestingly, Verizon cited safety as its reason for declining to participate, noting some customers may not have a fallback device that would allow them to stay connected.
“We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note 7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season,” Verizon’s Vice President of Global Corporate Communications Jeffrey Nelson said. “We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders, or medical professionals in an emergency situation.”
