With all the hullabaloo about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7's exploding batteries and the device's recall instituted after that, one would think that the Galaxy Note 7 has been buried underground with no hope of resurrection.

Note 7's Surprising Global Usage

The handset turned out to be very much alive and kicking after the latest global Android usage chart released by mobile research firm called Apteligent, which revealed that there are still people who are using what has been declared as an officially unsafe device.

What is even more astounding is that the number of people who are using the Note 7 is even higher than those using the LG V20, OnePlus 3T and the HTC Bolt.

To be fair, the three devices all had Q4 2016 release and the Note 7 has been around since August. But still, the fact that there are still people determined to hang on to the device speaks volumes about its appeal.

Samsung Wants The Device Back

To make things even more astounding, Samsung has been instituting measures, particularly in the form of software updates that seek to discourage usage. For instance, the latest firmware released will effectively prevent any Note 7 still in circulation from having any cellular connectivity.

Samsung has also rolled out a previous patch that will keep the device from charging past 60 percent.

In the United States, federal agencies have repeatedly issued warnings and advisories against the Note 7. Samsung is particularly adamant about completely pulling the Note 7 from the market due to its potential risk to both person and property.

Top Android Flagship Phone

With all these things considered, the Note 7 managed to remain the top premium Android device — save for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge — in the third and fourth quarters of 2016. The Sony Xperia XZ did trounce the Note 7 but this was already in the middle of November.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge were not included in the report because they were released in the early part of 2016. The flagship devices listed were only those that hit the market beginning July.

Observers are, therefore, eagerly awaiting the release of the Galaxy Note 8 as much as the smaller Galaxy S8. Some indicate that there is a pent up demand, which could mean that the next generation Samsung phablet could very well be a major hit.

It is now up to Samsung, therefore, to deliver a reliable device if it wants to take advantage of this incredible piece of insight.