Will the Galaxy S8 turn things around for you-know-who?

We're not going to make cracks about burning issues. But the question remains, is Samsung's latest offering - available today onwards in UAE - fiery enough to pull it back into the rink?

I know at least three persons in my inner circle who are diehard fans of Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphones, the type who transform into seemingly paid endorsers slash legal counsels slash walking billboards for the brand when they get into a heated geeky toss-up with me. Until the Galaxy Note 7 ascended to the digital afterlife. Well, as a matter of fact, they still are. But I noticed one common denominator from them when I've been checking on them lately. "Of course I'll buy it. but I'll wait for a while before I do."
They are obviously referring to the new Galaxy S8. And we don't need to tell you the "burning" reason why they'll be waiting "for a while".
But let's face it: Samsung, for all intents and purposes, is Samsung. It's still an almost $300 billion company, accounts for about a quarter of South Korea's GDP and has every weapon in its arsenal to have the right to challenge some other firm named Apple for market supremacy.
And we shouldn't have to look further than where we are now.
During its official rollout last Friday - though only in the United States, Canada, South Korea and Puerto Rico, it should be noted - and only pre-booked orders were released in the UAE, I checked out some shops in Dubai. While playing around with an S8 Plus, I noticed a couple of irate customers questioning staff at a store, saying why the heck was the device not available. (Poor guys, I'm assuming, they may have been explaining the same thing over and over to these Samsung fanatics, er.. fans.)
That was a perfect situation: while apparently they weren't well-informed of the actual flying-off-the-shelves date in the UAE, it also shows the seemingly blind idolatry they have for the brand. In the US, however, Samsung did take a huge hit on its reputation. A recent survey from The Harris Poll showed that the company took a steep tumble from seventh to 49th - that's a ridiculous 42-place drop - in its Reputation Quotient Ratings report. They are, by the way, just ahead of the US Postal Service.
However, multiple surveys from major tech news websites show a trend: those who have been Samsung users are still inclined to remain loyal. Heck, it even hit me just now: could there even be a good number of people willing to try the S8 and/or S8 Plus just out of curiosity?
In any case, that's what you get when you are able to build a reputation and earn the trust of consumers. Samsung has built its brand well, using a mix of effective marketing and come-and-get-me technologies.
Samsung is obviously not the first - and they won't be the last, either - to go through a public relations nightmare. Pfizer, Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and even Apple all went through the recall wringer at some point in their existence. And while some of them were even deadlier than what Samsung has gone through, they continue to roll to this day. (We're still waiting to see what happens to Takata and its airbags.)
Size also matters. In the last five years, Statista data shows that Apple shipped over 1.022 billion smartphones, while Samsung clocked in at about 1.570 billion. Sure, while the former only has the iPhone to compete against the latter's plethora of products, an almost 50 per cent advantage must be able to prove something.
Samsung made a splash with the unveiling of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. And while I admit I am not exactly what you can call a fan of the brand, the practically bezel-less Infinity Display - one of the many interesting features on the new devices - got me revved up in a way I've never felt before.
I'm imagining how actual fans of Samsung must be feeling right now. It's a perfect opportunity for both Samsung and its followers to belt out that in-your-face "we told you so" statement.
Meanwhile, the most sceptical of sceptics are, plus those who have been burned - literally, figuratively and emotionally - by the Note 7 mess, may pose the question: what if it happens again? I highly doubt it. For all of Samsung's technological and market might, it won't allow another flare-up to happen again. Not when the stakes are unprecedented. Research shows that consumers tend to forgive brands for the snafus they've made as long as they come up with a souped-up product that will satisfy them and give them vindication for sticking with the brand.
It took a couple of weeks after the Note 7's rollout before it belted out would-be disastrous smoke signals. I'm interested to see how long my friends will wait before they finally decide to get their own spanking-new S8s. And that wait starts today when it starts selling in the UAE.
Tech's made Alvin part-time optimistic, full-time eccentric. He's obsessed with shoes, cooking
alvin@khaleejtimes.com