Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release-Day Branding Confirmed

Samsung confirmed this week that they'd be keeping the "Note" branding for products, unafraid that their Note 7 fiasco would hold them down. Samsung mobile chief D.J. Koh suggested that they would "bring back a better, safer, and very innovative Note 8." In that single sentence, Samsung confirmed not only the existence of the Note branding's continued existence, but the Galaxy Note 8 itself – and the "8" branding for the next generation of Samsung mobile devices.

As CNET suggests, "The decision is a risky move for Samsung, given the baggage the Note brand now carries." Along with this negative baggage is 5 solid years of positive support from loyal Galaxy Note users. If Samsung had this same explosion/fire problem with a phone line they'd just released for the first time, branding moving forward might be different. That'd be a different situation entirely.

Due in no small part to the mostly warranted perception of quality over the rest of the phone market, not all recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices have been returned by consumers. Samsung suggests that 97% of the Note 7 smartphones in the world have been returned. That last 3%, however, seems to be so entirely convinced of the safety of the recalled device, they refuse to listen to Samsung and return it.

For them, we have very little sympathy. Brand power and top-quality construction is not worth the risk of one's self starting on fire. The good news for future users is this: Samsung has become more vigilant about checking their devices for foul-ups of this magnitude. In other words – as unlikely as it was that it happened this last year with the Galaxy Note 7, it's even less likely for the immediate future and every other generation of Samsung smartphone.

The first big release of 2017 for Samsung's smartphone collection will almost certainly be the Samsung Galaxy S8. Given the confirmation of the Galaxy "Note 7" branding this week, there's little reason to think otherwise about the same naming convention being used for the Galaxy S.