Galaxy Note 7 Stock

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After this year’s battery debacle, there are currently over 4 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in inventory or in the process of being recalled. Samsung Electronics is troubled over what to do with them.

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Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, recalled over battery ignition problems, have been gathered at this storage space. 2.75 million of the phones have been recovered so far. Including the units in stock, the total comes to 4.3 million. Samsung has yet to decide what to do with the devices.

[Soundbite] Samsung Electronics Official : "We are currently focused on retrieving the Note 7 phones. Post-recovery plans haven't been finalized, but we will come up with eco-friendly measures as soon as the recovery is complete."

The Note 7's retail price was nearly 840 dollars. Even if the high-end phones go to waste, there are ample opportunities for recycling. It's estimated that the 4.3 million devices contain 100 kilograms of gold and 1,000 kilograms of silver. Approximately ten million mobile phones are replaced each year. Out of this total, only 4 percent are retrieved and recycled, according to industry estimates. The percentage has further dropped since the debut of smartphones.

[Soundbite] Lee Hwa-sik(Korea Used Communication Distributors Association) : "The purchased volume of retrieved phones has dropped sharply. Users seem to be reluctant to hand them in due to privacy concerns."

The majority of uncollected phones are believed to be left unattended in people's drawers. As a result, critics point out the need to tighten regulations on manufacturers to be responsible in retrieving used and discarded handsets.