U.S. airlines will no longer have to make a pre-boarding notification to passengers that the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is prohibited on aircraft, it was announced yesterday.

In a statement on its website, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was dropping the requirement because public awareness that the banned Note7 was a fire risk was deemed to have reached a sufficient level, thanks in part to extensive recall efforts by Samsung and smartphone providers.

galaxy-note7

The Department of Transportation removed the requirement for air carriers to specifically notify passengers about the Note7 phone immediately prior to boarding due to the high degree of public awareness of the ban since issuance of the emergency restriction/prohibition order, as well as the extensive efforts by Samsung and U.S. wireless providers to make all Note7 users aware the phone is recalled and banned from transport on U.S. aircraft. 

Following the announcement, Samsung released a statement claiming that over 96 percent of Note 7 devices have been returned so far. U.S. carriers have sent out an end-of-life software update to handsets that remain in circulation, rendering the devices unable to charge. Meanwhile, Samsung has said it will release a report later this month detailing the results of its investigation into what caused some handsets to explode or catch fire while charging.

Samsung appears to have weathered the storm of last year's Note7 debacle, after officially halting sales of the phone worldwide in early October and discontinuing the model. Despite Apple phones outselling Samsung phones two to one over the holiday period, iPhone 7's lack of "compelling" features is said to have convinced most Galaxy Note7 owners to stay with Samsung.

galaxy-s8

Purported leaked image of the Galaxy S8 expected to launch in April (Image: Weibo)

According to one report on Tuesday, Samsung has refused to give up on the Galaxy Note name, due to the historical popularity of the brand in the "phablet" category, and a Note8 is currently being readied for launch later this year.

Samsung is currently focusing on the Spring launch of its flagship Galaxy S8, which is rumored to include a "Bixby" AI voice assistant – based on its acquisition of Viv – and is said to have a home button embedded in its edge-to-edge display. The company is reportedly aiming to ship 60 million S8 units by the end of the year.

Top Rated Comments

dilbert99 Avatar
114 months ago
TouchWiz...fart. No thanks.
I'd consider buying a Samsung/Android phone if it had stock android.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoeInMilwaukee Avatar
114 months ago
I understand the dropping of the required announcement pre-flight, but dropping the ban is a bad move. No doubt there will be some defiant owners taking them onboard and keeping them for various reasons.
The devices are still banned. According to the FAA's statement: "The devices are still prohibited on both passenger and air cargo aircraft, but the DOT has lifted the requirement that the airlines make the specific pre-boarding notification."

MacRumors needs to change its headline!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
114 months ago
It is a bit odd all the Android/Samsung phone lovers here on a Mac / iOS site (references here and the comment directly above)...why waste your time (considering the time I spend on Android sites - which is none), right?
A lot of people here use whatever mixture of devices meets their needs and desires.

Many, for example, might own a MacBook, iPad and a Samsung phone. While also using a Roku and an Amazon Echo.

Wonder if Samsung (and possibly other Android suppliers) pay for astroturfing these forums?
Or more to the point, you're basically wondering if this site is paid for by Samsung and other Android suppliers, since it posts a lot of news articles about Samsung and Android?

Ironically, they often are paying for this site. For instance, I often see Samsung ads presented here, but NEVER an Apple ad. Apple is apparently too cheap to support its own fan sites with ads.

So thank your lucky stars that Apple's competitors are willing to advertise on Apple fan sites. Their money allows you to gripe about them :D
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vorkeyjones Avatar
114 months ago
So now it's ok to take a bomb onto a plane. ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
114 months ago
It looks like the Note 7 fiasco as a setup.

First, the media started falsely advertising that the Note 7 exploded. But by definition an object that exploded should be into multiple parts, and if you at ALL the Pictures of the "Note 7 Exploded", the Note 7 STILL still on one piece. Even when they drop the Note 7 from a 1000 FT, it remained in one piece.

//www.youtube.com/shared?ci=NFeFl-ue_8o

Second, from a total of 26 Fire Incidents of the Note 7, 12 where confirmed as FAKE by Samsung, and the remaining 14 were cancelled claims or cases in which claimants said they threw away their phones. Come on, Samsung is a big company, they should have the balls to push back on all that FAKE propaganda by the media, paid by Apple.

http://bgr.com/2016/09/19/galaxy-note-7-recall-explosions-iphone-7/

There's a lot of videos on YouTube of people trying to make the Note 7 to "Explote", but it never happened.

//www.youtube.com/shared?ci=Hh44p-iUkgo

//www.youtube.com/shared?ci=2xrbOK0RSh8

Compared to iPhone 7 explosions, that you can clearly see that it didn't remain on one piece:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-7-plus-battery-explosion/amp/


Third, after the recalls almost 3 months ago there have been ZERO Note 7 incidents, that doesn't sounds weird? Keep in mind that most of the existing Note 7 users have blocked any updates and can still charge their Note 7 to 100%

http://www.itbusiness.ca/news/even-with-recall-residual-note-7-use-still-higher-than-lg-and-htc-devices-combined-apteligent/85144

Anyone that understand basic statistics, using the available VERIFIED data can conclude that there's more change you have a car accident DAILY or get strike by lighting that your existing Note 7 gets on fire in the next 2 years.

Fourth, SDI Battery are currently in used on multiple smartphones without any issues, and even the Next Galaxy S8 will continue to use them.

http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s8-sdi-batteries-740952/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=gplus

Let's see what's Samsung Official Statement about the Note 7 investigation.
No one really cares. Not being dismissive, but seriously, no one really cares. Samsung will move on, we will move on. It will become an MR meme like antennagate, bendgate, donglegate. Heck, it already has.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
997440 Avatar
114 months ago
[...]
Second, from a total of 26 Fire Incidents of the Note 7, 12 where confirmed as FAKE by Samsung, and the remaining 14 were cancelled claims or cases in which claimants said they threw away their phones. Come on, Samsung is a big company, they should have the balls to push back on all that FAKE propaganda by the media, paid by Apple.
[...]
I'm not discounting what you've posted; I haven't closely followed the story. Do you have sources to your claim which I bolded?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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