Samsung (plus TSMC) is the exclusive manufacturer of all A-series processors used in Apple's iThings. Along with many of the AMOLED touchscreens, solid-state capacitors and inductors and SMT regulators and pretty much half of the power-handling and charging circuitry found on the mainboard and other PCB modules - including those embedded within the battery itself. (Not to mention all the associated bootloaders, firmwares, drivers, and a lot of the softwares, too.)
This engineering flaw could've happened just as easily with Apple iPhones, iPads, iPods, iMacs, iEtc. In fact, I would've expected it to happen to iPhones simply because of the greater volume of units manufactured.
And it's hardly the first time mass recalls have been issued on lithium-ion devices. Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM, Intel, AMD, NVidia, and Asus have all suffered from similar battery defect issues in past years. Just last month the big villain was Acer. I'm not sure why society at large thinks that shiny smartphones are any different (or any better) than other computing platforms based off all the same technologies.
Samsung evidently pushed the thresholds a little too far, they rushed the deadlines or chopped the budgets or cut too many corners off quality controls. Technology and manufacturing are always lucrative but aggressively cut-throat industries - they can make it good, they can make it fast, or they can make it cheap, but to compete they can only pick two.
Understanding all this, my opinion about the quality of Samsung's products hasn't been influenced much by this technical flaw. Rather, my opinion will be influenced by Samsung's reaction to it.
And so far Samsung has admitted the problem honestly and openly, they've made the recall process reasonably "safe" and efficient, and - most importantly - they've fully reimbursed Note 7 customers on all purchase/contract, taxes, duties, and shipping costs. So far Samsung hasn't given credits or gift cards which can only be redeemed on other Samsung products, hasn't forced affected customers to trade in only for "equivalent" Samsung alternatives, hasn't really imposed any requirements for Note 7 owners to remain loyal to Samsung at all - they've just promptly sent full payments in whatever electronic and physical formats their customers request. Without any of the usual runarounds or stalling - you don't need to provide proof-of-purchase, submit a support ticket, apply for an RMA, none of that stuff - you simply send them your Note 7 and they send you a refund, no questions asked.
Anyone who's ever dealt with a frustrating Asus or Dell or Apple RMA will realize how upfront, helpful and "apologetic" Samsung has been about this whole embarassment. I'm not a Samsung diehard - they make some good stuff I like and some good stuff I don't like, and there's lots of alternatives - but so far Samsung seems to be proving itself highly ethical, responsible, and loyal to its Note 7 customers. All that being said, I think anyone who blindly points at this Note 7 recall and vehemently declaring They Never Buy Samsung Again is just being stubborn and ignorant (as in, just believing what they want to believe while remaining selectively uninformed about the background context and facts). Perhaps my opinions and decisions about Samsung are wrong - but I like to think that I at least formed them without bias and with some thought about all the relevant facts.
Motorola has been a favorite of mine for some time now, very good bang for my buck, but no literal bangs thankfully.
