Samsung sending recall notifications to Galaxy Note 4 units running a Galaxy Note 7 ROM

One of the first steps that Samsung took when it decided to recall the Galaxy Note 7 was sending recall notifications to the new flagship. The notifications urged users to power down and stop using their Galaxy Note 7 and take it back to their point of purchase for an exchange or a full refund. Many Galaxy Note 7 owners have since returned the handset but it appears that the company is also sending out the same notifications to other Note flagships that just happen to be flashed with a Galaxy Note 7 ROM.

A Reddit user has shared a screenshot of the notification he received on his device. It calls on him to backup the device's data, power down and “surrender your Galaxy Note7 unit.”

This didn't happen because there's something wrong with the Galaxy Note 4 which happens to be two years old, it received this notification because it's actually flashed with a Galaxy Note 7 ROM. Flashing refers to the act of replacing a handset's firmware with another version manually. This is something that enthusiasts normally do and in this particular case it involves changing the build.prop name to the Galaxy Note 7 in order to spoof the systems.

Now that recall notifications are being sent to outdated devices running the Galaxy Note 7's software this goes to show that Samsung's systems are unable to distinguish between the two. It's not ideal for Samsung since it's apparently unable to properly identify legitimate Galaxy Note 7 units that are still being used from outdated handsets masquerading as the ill-fated flagship.

Adnan Farooqui - Executive Editor

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First Samsung device: SGH-E900

Adnan Farooqui is a long-term writer at SamMobile. Based in Pakistan, his interests include technology, finance, Swiss watches and Formula 1. His tendency to write long posts betrays his inclination to being a man of few words.

Source Phone Galaxy Note 4 Galaxy Note 7