Ok you're on 😀 I'll officially bet against you and say that the Note brand won't be sacked.
Why? I think the brand is strong enough to survive this crisis. The Note 7 did have a moment of true glory before those batteries started failing, and one that re-drew the smartphone map quite a bit. With this device IMO, Samsung had finally reached a level of aesthetic design that not only matched the iPhone but even surpassed it. This is a landmark. And as soon as the Note 7 comes back with new tested batteries and begins to spread among the phone buying public, this will again put the Note brand on the map in a lasting way. Its beauty will not be ignored.
I hear a lot of "yea, but it looks pretty much like my S7 Edge" but while this is technically true, essentially it couldn't be farther from the truth. The edge screens on the previous Edge models are all horribly unbalanced in terms of angles and proportions IMO, the devices are asymmetrical in an awkward manner and IMO just plain ugly. While instead, the Note 7 really nailed those proportions, the symmetry, flow... A stunning design, really on another level than anything they've ever produced.
So. I don't think there's a way forward from that point which includes simply turning their backs on that whole thing. Even if they could manufacture an S8 along the same principles - the Note is now associated with that particular design peak and this bond I believe will prove to be stronger than that to the admittedly severe battery issues.
Also I don't think they'd ever go for an S8 with a S Pen. That would be admitting their own failure in a way too blatant manner. The general public would respond with "LOL you think we're fooled that easy?" and buy them less than they would a brave Note 8 being delivered in a lush wrapping of sweet, sweet apologies, public corporate self-shaming, and a thick coat of deflecting the blame on mobile battery tech as a whole while devising a "new" battery tech devised to guarantee extra safety, perhaps including a very generous warranty policy to soothe our nerves.
Finally, could it even be that "any PR is good PR" will actually apply even in this case? I think it just might. If nothing else, these exploding batteries have certainly made everyone and their grandmother aware that there is such a thing as a "Galaxy Note". If Samsung can apologise and reassure their way back from this - which I think they can - the Note line could ride that ginormous PR wave right up to the top of next years device competition.
So yeah MRU...consider yourself bet against. May the best phone nerd win 😀 I guess we shall see the truth come beginning of next year when the S8 leaks begin showing up...
There is indeed the potential for that outcome. The Note 7 was a gorgeous device and it was a dream to use it while I had it. I HATE carrying large phones around but that Note 7 made me want to figure out a way to make it my daily driver. I still want one.
My husband is such an IPhone and Apple evangelist that everyone he knows actually became shocked and almost upset he made the Note 7 his daily driver for the brief time he has it and even now is using the S7 Edge over his iPhone 6S Plus. (He doesn't like the S7 Edge that much, though. But he wants to complete his reacquaintence with Android).
But Samsung has numerous issues to address to regain public trust. Even without the battery issue, there was another scandal brewing on the Exynos models. I haven't revisited that forum topic but apparently there was some sort of boot looping issue bricking an increasing number of Exynos versions.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...0-issue-bootloop-issue-crashing-bricking.html
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...y-killed-my-note7-while-preparing-recall.html
Then there was the reported lag some on this forum experienced and other people on other forums were reporting. I'm not even talking about that infamous video where the IPhone 6S totally kicks the butt of a Note 7 on a speed test.
Also Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 was known to have overheating issues in some manufacturers phones. Snapdragon 820 was rumored to have the same issues but Samsung is said to have worked to mitigate them:
https://9to5google.com/2015/10/27/samsung-snapdragon-820-overheating/
Samsung can build its own SOC so really they need to step it up because Apple is kicking their butts all over when it comes to designing these things.
I know my own confidence in Samsung has been shaken not by the Note 7 recall, but by my own problems with my S7 replacement overheating constantly, but too randomly and unpredictably for me to try and make an appointment with AT&T about it. The few who have, apparently get told this is normal, anyway. I can't even keep it in my pocket. I can feel it warming up in there. I try to keep it on a desk so it can dissipate heat from any processes that may be running amok.
If I were irrevocably stuck with this device because I had bought it out of choice, I would be so upset with Samsung right now and would vow to never get another one. Even my awful IPhone 6Plus that I wanted to chuck through the window didn't cause me a problem that meant I couldn't use it and carry it the way I wanted to. Using it was just kind of like prodding a grumpy tortoise, that's all. Fortunately my S7 is just a loaner and I'll be able to return it without incurring a restocking fee. Just in case, I have my Gear S2 watch packed and ready to go back with the phone itself before the full 14 day return period is over in a couple of days. I do not want to be stuck with this phone.
I am so sad about that. Looking at it, it is beautiful and everything I want. I love the features of Android on it. I even like TouchWiz. But it's not coming together right enough for me. Not with it randomly running so very hot.
Samsung should pare down its low end units and work on bringing an unprecedented focus on quality to a streamlined product line. And work with Android more to bring it under control so it doesn't launch rogue processes in the background that deplete the battery or heat the processor unexpectedly. I'm assuming it can be done because Samsung has already done an incredible amount of customization on the Android OS.
I can see them getting there. It's a shame they experienced this massive failure just when they finally succeeded in innovating something special and breaking out of their "Samesung" image.
