Galaxy Note 7 fiasco may be good news for Google’s Pixel phones

According to Branding Brand, 8 percent of the surveyed Samsung smartphone owners will opt for Google’s Pixel phone. While the Galaxy Note 7’s recall – and now discontinuation – may have had an adverse effect, ultimately, the data size is too small for anything conclusive.

We all know about the Galaxy Note 7’s sad fate: the gorgeous phablet with a beautifully-curved screen became a self-combusting threat overnight, and in the end, Samsung had to axe it altogether. We’ve previously stated that although this means a huge disaster for Samsung, it could be beneficial for other smartphone manufacturers. Well, according to Branding Brand, an e-commerce platform, Google’s Pixel phones may be grabbing a portion of Samsung’s consumer base.

Branding Brand conducted a survey of 1,000 Samsung smartphone owners from October 11^th through the 12^th to look at consumer confidence. According to the company, 40 percent of current Samsung consumers have said that they would not be buying another Samsung phone in the future. And of those switching from Samsung phones:

• 8 percent said they would buy a Google Pixel phone.
• 30 percent would buy an iPhone.
• 62 percent would buy another Android phone.

Chris Mason, the CEO of Branding Brand, explains:

As we’ve watched the Galaxy Note7 recall and discontinuation play out, even more people say they will switch their smartphone brand. Consumers want to be confident in their personal safety and will choose a new smartphone accordingly. Only a week after Google’s smartphone launch, many already have their sights set on the Pixel.

Personally, I’m not too convinced that the Note 7 disaster was a direct cause of Pixel’s popularity. First of all, the sample size is way too small and vaguely-defined. 1,000 is pretty small considering there are millions of Samsung smartphone users in the world. Also, “1,000 Samsung smartphone owners” could mean 1,000 Samsung Galaxy J owners. Of course these users would want an upgrade to a Pixel phone, an iPhone, or anything that’s better – this may not be a direct result of the Galaxy Note 7’s discontinuation. It’s a typical case where correlation does not necessarily mean causation. And even if those 1,000 respondents were Galaxy Note 7 owners, it doesn’t really correspond with Samsung’s official data that said 90 percent of Note 7 users were sticking with the device.

What are your thoughts? Google Pixel or Galaxy S7 edge? Google Pixel or another Android phone? Let us know in the comments below!