Most Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners remained loyal to Samsung following the recall of the phablet. Part of the reason for this support is the phone itself. On paper, the device features high-end specs, a sleek design, S Pen capabilities, an iris scanner, and for the first time ever there is an IP certification rating. And while 37% of Note 7 buyers in China said that they will switch to an iPhone, overall 90% of those who returned their original Galaxy Note 7 said that they will exchange it for the improved "safer" edition of the phablet.
But that was before the new "safe" version of the device apparently exploded twice in recent weeks. Just this past Wednesday, one of the replacement units exploded inside a Southwest Airline plane in Louisville as passengers were boarding the aircraft. According to Bloomberg, if the device that caught on fire inside the plane really is a replacement unit, Samsung faces the possibility of having to announce a second recall of the same model.
The former chairwoman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that second recalls are rare, but would be necessary in the case of the Galaxy Note 7 if the problem with the unit on the plane "is something beyond an aberration." The CPSC was the agency that worked with Samsung to arrange the mid-September official recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in the states.
There is talk that Samsung will lose $5 billion in revenue thanks to the original recall. A second one could do irreparable harm to the Samsung brand. This is not a good time for Samsung to have this issue. Despite word that an Apple iPhone 7 has exploded, the company's new handsets are experiencing strong demand. And just the other day, Google unveiled its new high-end Android handsets called the Pixel and Pixel XL. The phones are designed by Google which means that they have been optimized to work with Android in the same way that the iPhone works hand in glove with iOS.
Samsung was loath to officially recall the original Galaxy Note 7. It took several talks with the CPSC before the recall was made official. If the CPSC feels that a second recall is warranted, it will be interesting to see how fast Samsung goes along with that idea a second time around.
A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exploded on the circled jetliner on Wednesday, leading to another CPSC investigation
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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