Samsung is never really going to let the Galaxy Note 7 die

Samsung still isn't ready to give up the ghost of the Galaxy Note 7—you know, the phone with those batteries that had the unfortunate tendency to explode. Seriously.

Even while news broke this morning that the phone maker will soon issue a software update to kill the last remaining Note 7s out in the wild, mostly in the company's native South Korea, Samsung is doubling down on its failure. The company announced in a statement today it will look to sell refurbished models of the Note 7 in the near future.

The new life for the Note 7 phones comes as part of a three-pronged sustainability campaign, which Samsung rolled out after pressure from environmentalists to publicly address how the estimated 4.3 million recalled phones would be put to use.

“People around the world signed petitions, emailed Samsung’s CEO, demanding Samsung act responsibly, and finally Samsung has listened," said Greenpeace USA Senior Campaigner Elizabeth Jardim in an emailed statement. "This is major win for everyone that took action, and a step towards shifting the way we produce and dispose of electronics.”

It's a complete 180 from Samsung's stance last month when a rumor about refurbished Note 7s coming to Indonesia and India hit the news cycle. "The report on Samsung planning to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in India is incorrect," a Samsung India spokesperson told Mashable India at that time.  

Now, the phones will be "considered to be used as refurbished phones or rental phones where applicable," according to Samsung's statement. The company will work with regulators and carriers to decide where and when the newly refurbished phones will be available.

The statement doesn't include any details about how exactly the Note 7's explosive faults will be fixed before they hit the market again, or where in the world the company is planning to release the phones, but a Samsung spokesperson told us we shouldn't expect to see the Note 7 come back to life in the U.S.

"The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact," they said via email. "The product details including the name, technical specification, and price range will be announced when the device is available."

As part of the sustainability effort, the Note 7s that aren't prepped for refurbishment will be stripped of usable components like semiconductors and camera modules. Samsung will also partner with green-minded companies to recycle the precious metals from the old Note 7s, which contain copper, nickel, gold, and silver. Well, taking care of the environment is a good thing—as long as nothing explodes.