Samsung fans remain as loyal as Apple’s despite Note 7 disaster

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung fans will continue to buy Galaxy phones.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung really dropped the ball with the Galaxy Note 7, but according to a new survey, fans haven’t lost faith in the South Korean company.

In fact, Samsung’s fans are just as loyal as Apple’s, with 91 percent saying they would buy another Samsung smartphone again.

When the Note 7 made its debut back in August, it looked like Samsung had finally perfected its smartphone formula. The device received glowing reviews from critics and consumers, and early sales surpassed those of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge combined.

[contextly_auto_sidebar] That was quickly forgotten weeks later when some Note 7 handsets started exploding due to faulty batteries and Samsung was forced to recall all 2.5 million units that had been sold. The company tried to eliminate the issue, but it couldn’t be fixed.

Samsung eventually ended production of the Note 7 and asked for all units to be returned. Its phablet fans weren’t happy — a small percentage are still clinging onto the device despite the risks — but the failure hasn’t broken their trust in Samsung.

A survey carried out by Reuters/Ipsos has found that Galaxy fans remain just as loyal as those who buy the iPhone. Some 91 percent of current Samsung smartphone owners said that would buy another phone from the company in the future.

Among those who were aware of the Note 7 issues, 27 percent said they would first consider Samsung when it’s time to buy a new phone. Among those who weren’t aware, 25 percent said they would first consider the Galaxy brand.

In comparison, 92 percent of iPhone owners said they would buy another iPhone, and 89 percent said they would buy another Apple product.

The survey was conducted in 50 U.S. states and included 2,375 people who own a Samsung phone and 3,158 people who own an iPhone, reports Reuters.

Samsung and its investors probably shouldn’t be too concerned that the Note 7 disaster will negatively impact its smartphone sales in the future, then. But there are still concerns around the fact that the company has been unable to identify the root cause of the explosions.

Samsung still insists a battery fault is to blame, but it hasn’t been more specific. It has promised to provide answers from its ongoing probe when it is concluded later this year.

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