The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been recalled twice due to faulty batteries that caused fires and explosions. Because of the problems surrounding the rushed smartphone, it is now widely rumored that its follow-up, the Note 8, may no longer be launched in 2017 and could be canceled indefinitely.
According to The Korea Herald (via Yahoo!), Samsung may be considering to cancel the Note lineup and focus solely on their core smartphones such as the upcoming Galaxy S8 instead. By focusing entirely on just one main product, it is said that Samsung may be able to refine its quality and avoid disasters such as the on that happened with the Note 7.
The report also states that this will ensure that Samsung won't be rushing their new products out into the market since the Galaxy S phones rolled out at a different period compared to the iPhone. It is pointed out that the Note 7 was rushed in order to compete with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and this is what led to its faulty design.
However, Samsung is still unaware of the exact cause of the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The company has not publicly stated what the current plans are for the Note lineup. While it is most likely going to be canceled, a report from PC Advisor hints that they may still release it but at a much later date or as a rebranded product.
The Note 8 will likely be pushed back from its fall 2017 release in order to refine its quality and to distance itself from the events surrounding the Note 7. It may also be given a new name so that consumers would not immediately associate it with the Note 7, although Samsung has yet to unveil what the new lineup is going to be labeled as.
If no changes are going to be made, then consumers can expect to see the Galaxy Note 8 launch by fall 2017.
