Samsung’s recent recall of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 device was bound to ding the company’s reputation, but a new survey gives an inkling of just how bad the damage might be.
Samsung is currently working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall around 1 million Note 7 devices in the United States in the wake of more than 90 reports of overheating batteries that both burned consumers and caused property damage. Samsung last week said half a million replacement devices were available, but it looks like not everyone will be interested in an exchange.
According to a new report from mobile e-commerce platform Branding Brand, just over a third of Samsung customers said they won’t buy another smartphone from the South Korean company in the wake of the Note 7 debacle. And it isn’t Samsung newbies who are planning to switch. Around 81 percent of customers who said they would leave Samsung also said they have always owned a Samsung or Android device.
It looks like the change of heart will pay dividends for Samsung’s main rival, Apple. While 57 percent of switchers said they would move to another Android device, 34 percent said they would move to the iPhone.
But what about the two-thirds who are willing to stick with Samsung, what’s keeping them in the fold?
According to the survey, 77 percent of customers said they’ll stay loyal to the brand so they don’t have to learn the ins and outs of a new device. Customers also listed style (52 percent), options to customize user experience (44 percent) and battery life (39 percent) as their other main reasons for staying with the brand, the report found.
“Samsung consumers say battery life is a key to their loyalty with the brand; however it’s the same reason for the drop in confidence,” Branding Brand CEO Chris Mason said. “Battery power is, and will continue to be, a big factor in smartphone technology development.”
Branding Brand’s report was based on an online survey of 1,000 Samsung smartphone customers aged 18 through 65. The survey was conducted between September 21 and 22, 2016.
