Samsung launched the Galaxy Note Fan Edition a.k.a refurbished Galaxy Note 7 units in South Korea earlier this week. Despite the tarnished reputation of the Note series though, there seems to be quite a bit of demand for the handset in the company’s home market.

Samsung has only made available 400,00 units of the Galaxy Note FE for sale in Korea, and the way the handset has been selling, stocks for the handset should run out run.

The Korean media claims that there has been a 60 percent increase — from 15,000 to 24,000 — in device activations since the Galaxy Note FE has launched. The Blue Onyx and Blue Coral colors have turned to be among the most popular color choices among consumers.

“The telecom market is getting revitalized thanks to the Note FE that is cheaper than premium phones but boasts high-end features,” said an official from a telecom company said.

With a price tag of $US610 (699,600 won), the Galaxy Note FE is around 20 percent cheaper than the Galaxy Note 7. It sports the exact same specs as the original handset, though it does come with a slightly smaller 3200mAh battery which has passed through Samsung’s eight-point safety check.

On the software front, the Galaxy Note FE runs on Android Nougat and is only the second device after the Galaxy S8 and S8+ to feature Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant.

Samsung is still not clear if it will sell the Galaxy Note FE in other markets of the world, though some industry sources believe that the handset will make its international debut later this month with a Snapdragon 821 chipset.