Samsung is prepping to release updated models of its Galaxy Note 7 phones in the US, and they could be the best bargain of the year

Samsung confirmed back in March that it would start selling refurbished models of the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea, and all signs indicate that we could soon expect it to hit US store shelves.

The device has unofficially been named Galaxy Note 7R.

According to a listing posted on the Bluetooth organization's website on May 13 (spotted by TheAndroidSoul), the Galaxy Note 7R is going through the approval process for Bluetooth operation. Judging by the usual amount of time it takes for devices to go through these kinds of approval processes, that means we could potentially see the Note 7R being sold in the US in early June "at the latest," according to Techno Buffalo.

The Note 7R was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on May 5, which was the initial indicator that it'll arrive to the US.

According to a report from the Korea Herald on May 10, the Galaxy Note 7R's price tag could be 50 percent of the original, which cost between $800 and $900, depending on the carrier that sold it. If that's the case, the Galaxy Note 7R could cost between $400 and $500, and it could be the bargain of the year for smartphones. You'd be getting ultra-premium smartphone specs and features for mid-range prices.

Those specs include:

• A sharp, 5.7-inch display.
• A gorgeous glass and metal design.
• A powerful processor.
• The best smartphone camera.
• Eye recognition for security.
• Check out the full Galaxy Note 7 review here.

Apparently, the Galaxy Note 7R will be almost identical to the original Galaxy Note 7, save for a smaller 3,200mAh battery compared to the original 3,500mAh battery. Indeed, one of the main issues with the doomed original Galaxy Note 7 was that the large battery could come into contact with its internal housing, which could pierce the battery and cause the chemicals inside to catch fire.

Will the Note 7R explode?

It seems like Samsung wants to put the old "third time's the charm" adage to the test. If the Note 7R does go on sale in the US, it'll be the third time it does so. Samsung released the original Galaxy Note 7 in August 2016, which was then recalled in early September due to safety concerns. The company then re-released updated models of the Galaxy Note 7 in September that supposedly addressed the problems with the original model. As you might know, the second wave of Galaxy Note 7 phones didn't fare any better than the original, and the Galaxy Note 7 line was discontinued altogether in October 2016.

So, will the third update to the Galaxy Note 7 do the trick? There's truly no way to tell until people start using the refreshed devices. However, some key differences do, at least, instill more confidence than Samsung's second Note 7 update.

A major difference between the second release and the current - potential - third release is the amount of time between them. It's been eight months since Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note 7, which leaves them a realistic amount of time to make meaningful fixes to the Note 7's faulty design. To compare, Samsung re-released the Note 7 two weeks after the original recall, which doesn't leave much time for a major company to make significant improvements to millions of devices.

In addition, during the Note 7's eight month hiatus, Samsung has officially identified the cause of the original Galaxy Note 7's problems, whereas it did not have official reasoning during the second re-release. That means the company knows exactly what to fix.

Still, the name "Galaxy Note 7" is synonymous with exploding phones, so the degree of the Note 7R's popularity will be interesting to watch.