Samsung has unleashed a secret weapon in its quest to recoup losses from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle: a ‘Blue Coral’ S7 Edge.
The new colour option for the Galaxy S7 Edge will go on sale on November 5, and will start from $1,098 over in the US. The choice of ‘Blue Coral’ is particularly interesting because it was one of the colours available with the Note 7. The new version of the S7 Edge was leaked earlier this month, leading many to speculate that it was an attempt to help retain forlorn Note 7 customers who were affected by the recall (read: all of them).
Previously, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge, which launched back in March, was only available in the following colours: Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium, and Pink Gold. In a press release, Samsung said: “The new colour variant of the Galaxy S7 Edge 4G+ features a refined design coupled with powerful functionality while encased in a cool blue hue.”
Samsung has been struggling to make up for lost time (and money) after it was forced to announce a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7, then only a month old, on September 2. The recall came after an internal investigation uncovered a serious battery design flaw in the phone that was causing some users’ handsets to spontaneously catch fire.
After replacing many of the affected Note 7 handsets, Samsung was forced to issue a second and final recall because it emerged that the problem may not have been entirely fixed. Samsung has since stopped manufacturing the phones, and now urges all customers to turn off their Note 7 handsets indefinitely.
Yesterday, Samsung released its earnings for the latest financial quarter, and revealed a 30% slump in profits year-on-year. Unsurprisingly, the South Korean technology giant blamed the Note 7 woes: “The Mobile business saw its earnings decrease significantly quarter-on-quarter due to the effects of the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. However, smartphone shipments remain solid due to continued stable sales of its existing flagship devices, including the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge…"
Fortunately, Samsung has a back-up in the form of the Galaxy S7 Edge which, aside from a few minor differences, is very similar to the Galaxy Note 7. The phone features a 5.5-inc QHD display, 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, and a 3,600mAh battery. We gave it a 4.5/5 score in our review, praising its great camera, stunning design, and sharp and vibrant display.
