Samsung’s having a right old crappy year. After the promise of its featured-packed Samsung Galaxy Note 7, its hopes to challenge Apple and others has quite literally gone up in smoke.
Global recalls of its flagship phablet has resulted in a damaged brand image, huge financial losses and the possibility of a permanently shelved Note range.
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But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
For the past two months, users of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and innocent bystanders in airports across the world, have been tweeting and Instagramming pictures of how airports and carriers are addressing the perceived threat of unstable smartphones.
This — ranging from overactive public service announcements, to hard-hitting counter notices, to more subtle gestures, like random phone checks — is about as bad as it can get for the Korean company.
Ultimately, it seems that the global airport reaction to the smartphone is this: “Go away, Note 7. Nobody wants you here.”
Have a look at their specific reactions from citizen reporters in airports from across the world.
Tallinn, Estonia
Airport safety announcement #Tallinn : if you have @Samsung #note7 pls contact stuff before boarding plane! Great free #marketing strategy!
— Dan Toma (@toma_dan) September 23, 2016
Toronto, Canada
At @TorontoPearson airport @SamsungMobile #note7 being called out pic.twitter.com/o65ZXCecm2
— Zakir Hussain (@ZAKIZZY) October 17, 2016
Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane airport getting pretty heavy handed with the visual metaphors this morning. #Samsung #BNE pic.twitter.com/5OBMGvW1zs
— Simon Groth (@simongroth) October 16, 2016
Washington DC, USA
Announcements at @DCA_Airport about #Samsung phones.. hope @RasuShrestha doesn’t need to fly anywhere at the moment. #GetaniPhone
— Mick Brown (@DCDingo) October 17, 2016
Samsung has seen a loss of over US$1-billion. And that only accounts for the Note 7’s first recall
Sydney, Australia
Gotta feel for #Samsung #galaxy #note7 users. Not allowed to fly with them
#airport #sydney A photo posted by Emine (@eminemehmet8) on
Venice, Italy
Spotted at #venice #airport check in. Serious #burn @SamsungMobile
#GalaxyNote7 #SamsungGalaxyNote7 #pixel @WIRED #technews @TechCrunch pic.twitter.com/CbAppEqE1z — Superyacht Content (@SY_Content) October 5, 2016
Cancun, Mexico
Interesting! I was just asked if I had a #GalaxyNote7 at the Airport in #Cancun – total fail @SamsungMobile
— Micheál Oharrchtain (@ezradavidovsky) October 18, 2016
Balikpapan, Indonesia
#GalaxyNote7 at Balikpapan Airport Terminal 3 entrance. pic.twitter.com/kCciirrbJA
— Massimo Bonanno (@bonanno_massimo) September 16, 2016
Seoul, South Korea
#GalaxyNote7 not allowed to check in at Seoul airport. pic.twitter.com/JbZWE1BTZv
— Cravate_unie (@cravate_unie) September 20, 2016
New York, USA
A photo posted by Jared (@jshapiro00) on
New Delhi, India
Saw something at the @IndiGo6E cargo booking hub at #delhi airport not good for @SamsungMobile #GalaxyNote7 pic.twitter.com/0uNu3c5lvI
— Mrutyunjay Mishra (@M2Od) September 28, 2016
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest airport to Rome. A warning for #note7 owners. Hysteria? pic.twitter.com/pIEc9kNBI0
— Matt Aguilera (@Matt_Aguilera) September 18, 2016
Plaine Magnien, Mauritius
@SamsungUK probably loving this publicity for his #GalaxyNote7 at @airmauritius airport
pic.twitter.com/ZEcZ10qhw6 — Gagan Sharma (@gagmix) September 15, 2016
London, UK
Saw this at check-in counter @ london heathrow airport #SamsungGalaxyNote7 pic.twitter.com/W5Ep7HfesF
— Shekhar Govindarajan (@shekharg) September 22, 2016
Singapore, Singapore
No #note7 on flight! #samsungnote7
A photo posted by Charis Chan (@charischansihui) on
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Just got asked at @Schiphol airport check-in counters if my phone was #GalaxyNote7. Apparently a security risk for exploding. Muahahaha
— Stanislav Georgiev (@stanleygeorgiev) September 12, 2016
Moscow, Russia
.@SamsungMobile #Note7 is considered as a #security threat at #sheremetyevo airport #Moscow #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/VUrYKZCb9z
— Sarah Khazem (@SKhazem) September 27, 2016
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Samsung Galaxy Note7 warning message in Colombo Airport #lka #SriLanka #Samsung #GalaxyNote7 #smartphone #airport pic.twitter.com/ivmIBUFeF6
— Ceylon 365
(@ceylon365) September 15, 2016
Karachi, Pakistan
OMG ! No #Samsung #Note7 even if its #ShaheenAir . Hahaha !
A photo posted by UMAIRICA (@umairhmirza) on
Sedati, Indonesia
#samsung #galaxy #note #note7 @ Juanda International Airport… https://t.co/uYLxDO7F0k — Jovan Wilando (@JovanWilando) September 18, 2016
