Originally launched in August, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be the phablet that would strengthen Samsung’s grip at the top of the global smartphone vendors’ list. The device initially garnered effusive praise from large sections of the media and consumers alike and was even described by many as quite possibly the best smartphone ever built. However, the early euphoria was shot-lived, as reports about the device catching on fire started doing the rounds of the internet within days of the phone’s global launch. That forced Samsung Electronics to conduct an internal investigation, which found a critical flaw with the batteries manufactured by its group company, Samsung SDI. That being the case, the South Korean company issued a global recall for the devices in what has been a PR disaster for the consumer electronics giant.
With reports about the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones covered extensively by the mainstream media in India and beyond, the Indian unit of LG Electronics is now having some fun at the expense of its compatriot as part of its latest marketing message to consumers in the country just ahead of the festival of Diwali. According to reports in the Indian media, LG has been sending promotional text messages, poking fun at Samsung’s exploding Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. “Heard the news of exploding products?” asks the message, alluding in a not-so-subtle manner to the Galaxy Note 7 fires. The company then goes on to assure consumers that it does a better job at quality control than Samsung because, “At LG, our products go through multiple tests to ensure safety of our most valuable asset – YOU”.
It is unlikely that many won’t get the drift of the latest message from LG, given how much publicity the Galaxy Note 7 fires have generated in the mainstream news media globally. The new, safe Galaxy Note 7 units are yet to go on sale in India, although some reports have indicated that Samsung may launch it by the end of this month. Meanwhile, LG’s all-new flagship, the LG V20, is all set to launch in South Korean later this month, and although there’s no word at the moment on when it will come to India, some reports claim that it will happen before Diwali. It would be interesting to see if all the negative publicity surrounding the Note 7 and the initial positive reviews of the LG V20 will be enough for LG Electronics to put one over its fellow South Korean rival this time around.