Samsung’s Biggest Product Failures: Worst Models, Flops & Why They Failed
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No matter how big a brand is, how fancy their ad campaigns are, or how much they sell, everyone has their flaws and some embarrassing failed launches. Whenever there is a conversation about failed products, one cannot complete it without talking about the infamous Samsung Note 7, the phone that became a meme and a safety hazard after a lot of its units kept on exploding.
Samsung is one of the most valued brands in the world and sells a wide range of electronic devices from smartphones to dishwashers. Samsung is a colossal multinational company from South Korea and has a big influence there. Samsung is known to create innovative, high-tech, quality devices. Samsung has launched some ground-breaking and unique models, but some devices could have been better. And then some were straight-up failures and tainted the brand image.
Let's take a look at some of those Samsung failures or Samsung discontinued products, and understand that even giant multinational businesses make mistakes sometimes.
| Serial No. | Product | Year Launched | Year Discontinued | Reason for Failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galaxy Note 7 | 2016 | 2016 | Battery explosions and fire hazards; global recall and safety concerns. |
| 2 | Samsung Laptops | 2000s | 2014 (Europe/US) | Poor sales, strong competition from Apple/Lenovo/HP; lack of innovation. |
| 3 | Galaxy A & Galaxy M Series | 2014 (A), 2019 (M) | Some models phased out | Oversaturated lineup; brand confusion; cannibalization of own mid-range offerings. |
| 4 | Galaxy S10 | 2019 | 2020 | Weak upgrades over S9; outshined by S20; decline in flagship sales. |
| 5 | Galaxy S21 | 2021 | 2022 | Underwhelming reception; strong competition; overshadowed by S20 FE and newer models. |
| 6 | The Galaxy Fold | 2019 | 2019 (revised model relaunched) | Fragile display; screen durability issues; early review backlash. |
| 7 | Samsung Galaxy Alpha | 2014 | 2015 | High price for mid-range specs; poor battery; quickly replaced by Galaxy A series. |
| 8 | Samsung Galaxy Beam | 2012 | 2014 | Dim projector; short battery life; low demand; considered a gimmick. |
Galaxy Note 7
The Galaxy Note 7 was launched in August 2016. The product received a decent response from the buyers, and a lot of people bought it. The phone came with a big screen, an enhanced stylus, and a promising camera. Everything was going great until the news about the phone overheating and exploding started going viral.
Most of the people who had that phone at that time were experiencing weird things with it. The temperature was the biggest issue, and it became a safety hazard. The market value of the brand dropped tremendously, and the product was doomed to fail. After that, Samsung sent replacements and then, ultimately, terminated the product and discontinued it.
Samsung Laptops
Do not worry if you have never heard of Samsung laptops before, because their laptops are less talked about and are not as famous as their smartphones. Most of the people who bought the laptops were generally disappointed and wanted to switch to another brand.
The laptops were not as smooth and neat as the smartphones, and one could easily tell the company hadn’t put as much work into them. These days, they are still trying to push the new range of their laptops, but they are still not that popular amongst the general population.
Roshni Tamta
Galaxy A & Galaxy M Series
When these phones dropped, people bought them like hotcakes, but after two or three days, the phones started having issues. The main issue was that they rebooted all of a sudden. The Exynos chipset utilized in these phones appears to be the source of the problems. People were dissatisfied since the phones were relatively new, and because Samsung is a well-known brand, this level of quality from Samsung was not acceptable.
And the phones were quite underwhelming themselves. Even without the technical issues, the customers were disappointed because the hardware was not up to par, and the phones were not up to the mark. Samsung had numerous competitors at that time, including Redmi, Vivo, Oppo, and OnePlus, all of which offered better services than Samsung at Oppo and OnePlus even offered lower prices.
Galaxy S10
Samsung launched its Galaxy S10 range in 2019, and it has gained a lot of popularity. Samsung is a big name when it comes to smartphones, so a lot of people bought it. The punch-hole camera, massive screen, quality hardware, and great camera tech got everyone hooked.
But still, like most of the Galaxy phones, these also have their issues. The apps kept on crashing, and they were forced to close. This ruins the experience. The fingerprint reader was also not working properly and made a lot of users angry. Users also claimed that the phone was overheating and that the battery life was very disappointing.
Anamika Mahapatra
Galaxy S21
Another Galaxy device is on the list of Samsung fails. This time it is the Galaxy S21. The product did not sell well, and the quality was inferior as well. Users were experiencing tons of bugs and issues with the series. The latest Android 12 update was not helping the phone at all, and the phone was frustrating its users. The hopes were high, and the loyal Samsung fans were disappointed with the problems like quick battery drainage, installation issues, and many more. Samsung has promised a new system update to fix most of the problems, like bugs and software issues.
Rishi Mundra
The Galaxy Fold
The new Galaxy Fold phones are fantastic, but the first one, which was released in 2019, was a big letdown. People were excited about getting it, as it was a foldable device with a huge screen. It created a lot of buzz because, at that time, it seemed like the future of technology had a lot to offer. But when the people finally got to use it, everyone felt underwhelmed. The phone was not cheap, so everyone was expecting some quality. But it felt like the only good thing was the big screen and nothing else. The quality was not up to the mark. The hardware was fragile, and the phone was not worth the price.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
The Galaxy Alpha is another Samsung failed phones that was a fancy phone launched in 2014. It looked nice with a metal body and had good features. But it didn’t sell well because it was too expensive and didn’t do enough for the price. So, Samsung stopped making it soon after. Most people choose cheaper phones that offer more value. It was quickly replaced by the Galaxy A series, which was more affordable and popular.
Samsung Galaxy Beam
The Galaxy Beam was a special phone from Samsung that could project pictures and videos onto walls. It was a new and fun idea, but it didn’t become popular.
One big problem was that the projector wasn’t very bright, so the image was hard to see, especially in bright rooms. Also, the battery didn’t last long when using the projector. Because of these issues, not many people bought it, and Samsung stopped making it soon after.
Sakshi Jadhav
Conclusion
Samsung is a major player that has created a slew of amazing items that have proven to be game-changers. However, the company's reputation has been soiled by a few failures. The majority of failure items were due to an internal problem. Samsung, on the other hand, has continued to develop innovative technology for its customers. Even if there are some failures, Samsung has provided aid to dissatisfied customers through replacement, software updates, and much more.
FAQs
When did Samsung enter India?
Samsung entered India in December 1995.
Why is there no Samsung in Japan?
Samsung does not brand their phones in Japan due to anti-Korean prejudice and a preference for Japanese-made products.
What are the failed products of Samsung?
Some of the failed products of Samsung are:
- Galaxy Note 7
- Samsung Laptops
- Galaxy A & Galaxy M Series
- Galaxy S10
- Galaxy S21
Who are the top Competitors of Samsung smartphones?
Some of the biggest competitors of Samsung Smartphones are:
- Apple
- Huawei
- Xiaomi
- Oppo
- Vivo
- Lenovo
- Sony
- Microsoft
- Motorola
- Asus
Is Samsung F series failure?
The Samsung Galaxy F series is not considered a failure, but it's not a major hit either.
Is Samsung M series failure?
The Samsung Galaxy M series is not a failure — in fact, it’s been one of Samsung’s more successful budget-to-midrange smartphone lines, especially in India.
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