Samsung Note 7 Fires Risk Hurting Demand for Other Products

  • Uproar over combusting Note 7 phones may tarnish the brand
  • Much however depends on whether new complaints arise

The Long-Term Impact of the Note 7 Recall

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Kong Tse has seen first-hand how the global uproar over flammable Samsung Note 7 smartphones is playing out with consumers. The 26-year-old, who hawks devices in the warrens of Hong Kong’s Wanchai Computer Center, says sales of the company’s handsets have tumbled 30 percent since the controversy began, including the high-end S7 Edge.

“Once betrayed, eight times avoided,” says the tousle-haired salesman, invoking a local saying while leaning against the counter in a tiny shop for Well Go Telecom. “They’ve lost a lot of trust.”