‘Samsung Note 7’s’ Costly $270 Display Replacement, Frustrating Verizon UI Tampering

The “Samsung Note 7” is out and by all accounts, it is a must-have smartphone for fans of performance and utility. However, there are some caveats to owning the device, including an astronomical replacement fee for the display. There’s also the case of Verizon tampering with the “Note 7s” that are part of its packages, wherein many of the default apps and UI has been replaced.

Dropping smartphones is a common occurrence, but as The Verge notes, it is also one of the most jarring moments of being a smartphone owner. That moment when the possibility of seeing a shattered display after the device falls flat on its face and right before turning it over is beyond stressful. With the $270 display replacement fee for the “Note 7,” owners are definitely going to feel the pain.

The amount that Samsung is asking for to replace broken screens is astronomical by usual standards. In comparison, replacing the screen for an ‘iPhone 6S Plus” is only going to cost owners $150. For HTC devices, replacement is free, provided incidents meet certain conditions.

On the other hand, the curved screen of the “Note 7,” and by extension the “Galaxy S7 Edge,” is a lot more complex than standard flat screens. There’s also the matter of waterproofing the phones, which can add even more to the costs.

On a related note, Droid-Life has an issue with Verizon tampering with the “Note 7’s” UI as well as the removal of some features. One of the most blatant examples of the carrier pushing its own agenda with the device is replacing the “Samsung Cloud” feature that offers 15GB of storage space with the “Verizon Cloud” with only 5GB of storage space.

The new Settings menu has also been replaced in favor of the old one. One of the reasons for this could have something to do with the possibility that users might find the updated version difficult to get used to, so it is understandable, at least.