After the whole Galaxy Note7 fiasco, some folks believed that Samsung would put an end to the Galaxy Note series. The electronics giant has lost a lot of money thanks to a single faulty device, not to mention that the damage this has caused to its reputation will be very hard -- if not impossible -- to repair, so such a decision would make some sense.
However, as it turns out, Samsung is not ready to throw in the towel just yet. The Galaxy Note series will live on, because the company just announced the introduction of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8 in 2017. What's more, Galaxy Note7 customers will be able to take advantage of a special offer to upgrade to one of its upcoming flagships.
Details are a bit hard to understand, given that the announcement is made in Korean and the translation is a bit rough, but Samsung has prepared a program, called Galaxy Upgrade Program, to give Galaxy Note7 customers the chance of getting a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 in installments, at what appears to be a lower overall cost too: they will have to pay only 12 out of 24 monthly installments to get one of its upcoming flagships.
To take advantage of the program, Galaxy Note7 customers will have to sign up for it, exchange their device for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, and return it, after the upcoming flagship they want to get launches, in exchange for a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8. The way that the whole thing is explained leads me to believe that Samsung will estimate the value of the traded in device at half the cost of a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8.
If that does not sound like a fantastic deal that's because it may not be. If you have already traded in your Galaxy Note7 for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge -- this program targets you too, not just those who have postponed or ignored the exchange offer -- and can sell it for more than half of what a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 will cost, after their launch, then you will be better off going that route.
To sweeten the deal though Samsung will give program members a 50 percent discount, twice, to repair (fix or replace) the display on the smartphone enrolled, and priority for repair visits at its service centers. That's an interesting proposition, but it may not be quite the special treatment some folks who got burned (literally or figuratively) by the Galaxy Note7 are expecting.
There is no information how this program applies to Galaxy Note7 customers outside South Korea, but Samsung does say that it will end November 30 2016. So, if it will be available internationally, we will find out soon enough.
