The Galaxy Note 7 is one of Samsung’s best phones to date, technically speaking. And from a design standpoint, well, it certainly stands out on its own, too. Samsung has a lot to be proud about when it comes to the company’s latest flagship phablet device.
Unfortunately, Samsung can’t outrun the negative press.
There was a brief window there, right after the Galaxy Note 7 launched, that Samsung could sit back and revel in the positive praise its latest handset was picking up. Many reviews out there made it obvious that if you were in the market for a new big phone, the Galaxy Note 7 was the way to go, no ifs, ands, or buts.
That didn’t last all that long before the first reported cases of smoking phones, fires, and exploding units started trickling online. In the grand scheme of things, with as many devices as Samsung sold, the company was right to push the “only a limited number of units” were suffering from the issue. But, looking at the same side of the coin, with as many units as Samsung sold, it wouldn’t be safe or prudent to keep those units out there in the wild.
So, the company issued a recall, and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 restarted in some regions while replacement units found their way into real world owners.
But you know all of this.
If you’ve been keeping up with the events surrounding the Galaxy Note 7, then you know that, as of now, Samsung is temporarily suspending production of the Galaxy Note 7 as it figures out the issues plaguing its handsets. And, at the same time, carriers in the United States have confirmed that they’re stopping sales of the Galaxy Note 7 altogether, and exchanges aren’t possible for new units.
If you want a Galaxy Note 7 at this point, carriers aren’t making it easy to get one. And that’s the right thing to do. There’s obviously a problem with the Galaxy Note 7, and while Samsung tries to figure out what it is, sales of the device should be halted. It’s better to be safe than to have a new piece of technology.
Which is a conversation I had to have over the weekend with a friend of mine and his significant other. I met up with them, and they both had Galaxy Note 7s. Worse, they both had originalGalaxy Note 7s. They hadn’t had “any issues” with their phones, so they didn’t feel like exchanging them.
But they also hadn’t kept up with the damage that some incidents had wrought on owners. A burned vehicle. Smoke inhalation. Burns. Hospital visits and damage to property.
I wasn’t saying which phone they should switch to, because in all honesty I didn’t care. I just wanted them to get rid of their Galaxy Note 7s and go with anything else. Thankfully, after we talked, they agreed that they could find another phone to love, and that their safety was more important.
As for Samsung, I honestly don’t believe that the production of the Galaxy Note 7 should be halted for a limited time. I think it’s time for the company to cut the phablet from the lineup altogether, and transition its focus to the Galaxy S8 or whatever else is coming next. Don’t rush that handset, either. Simply focus on making the best possible phone, whittling out any dangers that might crop up, and push forward with an even better product – that doesn’t hurt owners – next year.
Because right now, and as far as I can see from many others, suggesting someone buy a Galaxy Note 7 right now is off the table entirely – even if carriers would sell you one. And I’ll be honest: even if Samsung puts the phone back on sale at some point in the future, I won’t recommend the phone then, either. I’m cutting ties with the Galaxy Note 7 altogether.
Which phone did you go with instead of the Galaxy Note 7?