The Galaxy Note 7 was a very impressive flagship smartphone and it just might have turned out to be one of the best-performing handsets in the upcoming holiday season. It was reported soon after Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note 7 that many of its rivals were ramping up production of their high-end devices to fill the void left by Samsung's ill-fated flagship. Apple was said to be doing the same with the iPhone 7, the company's CEO Tim Cook has said that it's “hard to estimate” what the opportunity of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 debacle is for its biggest rival, “but we obviously welcome all switchers,” he said.
Whether or not that's really going to be the case remains to be seen. To prevent this eventuality, Samsung is offering monetary incentives to customers who exchange their Galaxy Note 7 for another Samsung flagship like the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. The strategy is working as most Note 7 owners are opting to stay within the Samsung family, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure recently said that majority of the Galaxy Note 7 owners on his network are just handing in their devices for a Galaxy S7.
So regardless of the fact that the Galaxy Note 7's demise does present an opportunity for Apple to capitalize on its rival's misfortune, Apple may not see a significant increase in sales as most Galaxy Note 7 owners are opting to stick with Samsung. Those who need a new flagship immediately are simply picking up the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge while those who can wait are most likely going to sit tight until the Galaxy S8 is out early next year.
