Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Sprint says majority of Note 7 users opting for another Samsung device
I’ve seen a lot of articles reporting 40 percent of consumers have indicated that they would not be buying another Samsung device after the Note 7 fiasco. That figure comes from Branding Brand’s survey, and as I’ve pointed out in my previous article, the statistics are questionable for various reasons. At any rate, it seems like at least for Sprint, that number does not hold true. According to Marcelo Claure, Sprint’s CEO, the majority of Note 7 customers are sticking with another Samsung device, mainly the Galaxy S7.
As we all know, Samsung’s latest phablet went through not only just one global recall, but two. After Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy Note 7 would be discontinued, various lawsuits were filed, reports of the company’s harsh work culture started to surface, and analysts speculated that Samsung would be losing billions of dollars due to this mishap. There’s no arguing here: what happened to Samsung’s latest phablet is undeniably damaging to Samsung’s reputation worldwide.
However, despite the two recalls, it seems like Sprint customers are sticking with the Samsung brand. In a conference call with reporters, Marcelo Claure explained that most Note 7 users are proving to be loyal to the brand:
Most of them are basically switching to a Galaxy S7. Even with [the recalls], they begrudgingly gave back their Note 7. I’m a believer that Samsung will recover.
As reported previously, Samsung is offering $100 to those who turn in their Galaxy Note 7 devices and get another Samsung device, and this is without any doubt a huge incentive. And indeed, T-Mobile seems to be seeing a similar trend with many Note 7 users opting for another Samsung smartphone.
Samsung is offering $100 to those who turn in their Galaxy Note 7 devices and get another Samsung device, and this is without any doubt a huge incentive.
It’s abundantly clear that Samsung is doing everything it can to retain its customer base – in fact, in South Korea, its home turf, Samsung is offering an unprecedented discount on future Galaxy devices (i.e. Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8) on top of the existing Note 7 exchange program. While these financial incentives may work short-term, it will take the South Korean conglomerate a significant amount of time to recover from all the negative public perception.
Did you buy the Note 7 and exchange it for another Samsung smartphone? Let us know why in the comments below!