And latest breaking news: Samsung will issue a software update that makes it impossible to charge the battery past 60%. Why? Because, said a BNP Paribas analyst, "people are not returning the phones." Does 60% make anyone (a) happy to keep this; or (b) comfortable in terms of safety? How about news that the recall isn't actually working? That doesn't make me so happy. Safety issues aside, I wonder how many people will be staring at me on a plane when I pull out a Note 4 and I wonder how long it will take for someone to tell me to put it away anyway because they have no idea what they are saying or what the issue really is. In other words--the slide into Samsung becoming a pariah.
The analyst quoted by Associated Press called this software update "a desperate measure." Indeed. It would infuriate me as a user and it still doesn't really reassure me as someone who might be affected by fires. I suspect the only measure that will work is canceling the Note 7 series and making it history as soon as possible, whether due to actual concern or just marketing savvy, or some combo of both.
The 60% is a bad idea, since the main threat is during charging. If the anode / cathode layers short, the 60% setting is irrelevant, since the battery will continue charging until it ruptures or the cable burns/shorts out. If anything this would give users a false sense of security during charging. This seems a ploy to get people off the device IMO, but could have unintended consequences due to false sense of security during charging.
The after market for these devices might be rampant.