It's not just the 60% limitation. I have noticed with this latest update:
- Profile management apps no longer function correctly, and cannot control alert volumes (which continually get set to 100%, fun in the middle of the night - forces me to turn the phone off at night)
- Android Pay no longer functions, it reports that it is running on a "rooted phone"
- Several apps that I use on a regular basis no longer even open
- Two apps have mysteriously uninstalled themselves from my phone
- Annoying modal pop-up notice and noise every time the phone is plugged in to charge or turned on
Let's consider this:
I buy a car. The car is mine. I like my car.
The NTSB encourages the car manufacturer to issue a voluntary recall, and encourage people to return their cars for a refund, because there is a problem with the battery. The manufacturer does so.
People like their cars, and do not "volunteer" to turn them in, because they want to keep them.
The lawyers of the car manufacturer tell the manufacturer it is in their best interest to "encourage" people to "voluntarily" return their cars, so that they do not get sued.
The manufacturer sends out an update to the car. This "update" causes the following things to happen:
- You can only fill the gas tank to 60% full
- The radio no longer works
- In order to start the car, you must turn the key, then get out, open the trunk, and press a button inside the trunk.
- The windows no longer roll down
- The horn beeps loudly every time you hit the brakes
Do you think people would stand for this? It's not like the CPSC has any kind of control over "recalls" - they can recommend to the MANUFACTURERS that they issue a recall, but they have no legislative powers over the end users of products. This voluntary recall is just that - voluntary. This crippling of phones is ENTIRELY on SamSung, and is being done by them, without any push from any government agency.
So what is driving me crazy is, why is nobody starting a class action suit against Samsung for breach of contract, for removing functionality after the fact, from a product purchased in good faith? This would be a slam dunk, and would be ideal case law to stop manufacturers from trying this kind of BS in the future.
In the meantime, I will be trotting to the T-Mobile store tonight, tail between my legs, to turn in my now crippled Note 7, and exchange it for a crappy S7 Edge without the two best features I love - the pen and the iris scanner. The $100 I get won't even come close to covering the cost of all the USB 3 accessories, chargers and Note 7 specific accessories I bought for my phone.
What a scam.