[Note 7 Questions & Answers] Blairware:
In spite of my best intentions, and really attempting to remain loyal to Samsung during a decidedly rough time for the company, I am being completely abandoned by Samsung. Do they care? Not at all. Do they think the loss of one (more) customer is significant? It would appear not. That attitude is not really great, but it's understandable. If we, the consumers are in a bad way over this, and we certainly are, depending on your particular circumstances, then it's not hard to imagine how messed up thing must be for those Samsung employees that are dedicated and we rightfully proud of the N7.

It's a nightmare for all. That being said, we the living still have to work and play and go on with our lives. I sat on a fence for a week, just paralyzed - I was in denial, I realize; "this can't be... it just can. not. be...

But acceptance is one of the steps I think, and with that in mind I came up with a plan. Trading the Note 7 for an S7 or S7 Edge was not an option. I already HAVE an S7 (work phone) and an S7 Edge (personal phone that I kept when upgrading to Note 7. Besides, neither is a Note. I sold my Note 4 when I got the N7. The S7 Edge is a beautiful phone. It's just not a NOTE. Different usage case.

So I decided, with my options disappearing, that a Note 5 was the best (least worst?) option available to me, as sad as that appears. The Note 5 has the newer build methods and materials, though it's not as balanced, nor as slick as the Note 7 was/is (or as slippery) and I sure don't have to list why it's a weak substitute in this space, but it IS the closest thing to a N7 in a Note Series phone. So I decide to bite the bullet and live with half the internal memory, no water resistance, a smaller battery (but not prone to meltdown at least) etc.

Guess what? No Note 5 to be had. There's obviously SOME around since a guy posted that Verizon got him one for about $375 or so - but AT&T? Nope. Nada. They must have divested themselves of them knowing that NOBODY would want one with the N& selling alongside it. Whoopsie. Bad call. Note 5 would be more popular today than when it was new on the market.

So I tried Samsung. Thinking I would give them a really hard time and hopefully get them to GIVE me one until a new model - ANY new model phone comes out. I have gotten stuff in the past when a company is trying really hard to keep customers.

Guess what? No Note 5 to be had here either. SAMSUNG got rid of them all, at least all the ones in the sales channel. So both AT&T and Samsung can't get me ANY model note phone, including prepaid devices or refurbs (why the rep thought she could find a Prepaid Note 5 is a joke in itself.

To add (another) insult to (yet more) injury, the AT&T rep tells me "You can use the S-Pen on the S7" I kindly explain to her why that is not so, no Wacom digitizer, thus no S-Pen, but she INSISTS! Sher READ IT SOMEWHERE (therefore it MUST be true, right?) So, since I HAVE an S& and 2 S-Pens (one kept back from the 1st N7 recall) I tell okay, let's TRY IT! HEY! Guess what? (I say that a lot here, don't I?) It DOESN'Y WORK! WHAT A SURPRISE! I am SO disappointed. But she tells me (wait for it) You must be doing something wrong. My documentation says a stylus works with the Note 7. FACE PALM (when what I feel like doing is reaching through the phone line and (expletive deleted)

So yeah. Truly without a viable option. And the sad part is, I didn't even WANT the damn Note 5 very much, but was willing to make the best of it, AND stay loyal to Samsung, and buy yet ANOTHER Samsung Phone next year. They keep this up they will be competing with HTC and Motorola on phone sales again. You can't stay at the top of the tier when you a) have no product to sell at that level, and b) Give your (potentially loyal) customers no way to remain so, despite their willingness to work with you.

Based on these realizations I have to believe Samsung will reap exactly what they are sowing today which is big losses of sales, loss of market share, and loss of loyal customer base. It doesn't get much worse than that. But fret not. Even these extremes wouldn't send me over the dark side of the apple. :rolleyes: