Samsung has seemingly done the impossible — make the world forget all about the exploding Galaxy Note 7 and anticipate the arrival of the Galaxy Note 8.
The Galaxy Note 7, with its explosive batteries that caused certain units of the smartphone to catch fire, was a nightmare for Samsung, and it was not clear how the company can recover from the debacle. However, less than a year after the plug was pulled on the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8 is already seeing massive success.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Preorders
Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 at an Aug. 23 Unpacked event in New York, revealing a smartphone with top-of-the-line specifications and powerful features. Samsung then started Galaxy Note 8 preorders the next day, offering discounts of up to $425 for former Galaxy Note 7 owners. Customers who purchase the smartphone before Sept. 24 are also given the choice of a free item of either a Gear 360 camera or a bundle containing a wireless charger and a 128 GB memory card.
While more time is needed to say that the Galaxy Note 8 is more successful than the Galaxy Note 7 before the exploding batteries issue broke out, early indications show that the stigma of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco has not affected the preorders for the Galaxy Note 8.
According to Mobile Fun, preorders for Galaxy Note 8 accessories are already 30 percent higher compared to that of the Galaxy Note 7.
"We didn't expect to see such large volumes of pre-orders this quickly after all the problems Samsung experienced with the Galaxy Note 7," said Mobile Fun marketing representative Mike Hart, who added that fans of the Galaxy Note series have apparently stayed loyal to Samsung through the ordeal.
While the figure is only for Galaxy Note 8 accessories, we can safely assume that it is directly related to increased interest for the smartphone itself. In fact, BGR reported that a tipster from T-Mobile said that the early interest in the Galaxy Note 8 is higher compared to the Galaxy S8, despite the higher price tag of $930.
Popular Galaxy Note 8 Accessories
According to Mobile Fun, the Galaxy Note 8 accessories receiving the most interest are rugged and protective cases, instead of the traditionally more preferred slim cases. In addition, customers are also leaning toward high-quality tempered glass display protectors.
Hart believes that the trend is due to the "extremely vulnerable curved display" of the Galaxy Note 8, a component that customers should protect, as it is very expensive to replace. Samsung has touted the durability of the Galaxy Note 8, but customers will likely not take their chances with the smartphone's $930 price tag.
