I kind of feel bad for Samsung. Not that I have inside information or any knowledge of their profit margin but these Galaxy Note 7 woes have already cost them millions in refunds and the lawsuits haven’t even been lodged yet! I don’t own one, can’t afford it thank God or I’d be throwing a fit over my new phone catching fire.

I get mad when I’m tricked into buying faulty accessories, like flash disks, earphones and phone chargers so I would definitely be livid if my phone went up in flames. Not trying to start any corporate wars but I wonder how the people at Apple are taking this, having successfully launched their own iPhone 7+ a couple of days after Samsung launched their now disastrous Note 7.

What must be unsettling is that Team Samsung don’t seem to know what’s causing the phones to burst into flames. I think someone knows but they’re not telling. Is it sabotage or someone’s cutting corners? Why am I even asking this knowing the incessant chase for profits? I’d say I feel bad for those who feel the need to get the latest version every time a new product is released but then again, why should I? Clearly, they can afford it.

I’m a hoarder and will hang onto something, especially appliances as long as they still work. Even after product reviews are widely shared letting consumers know that a certain phone doesn’t have that many new features, people still go out and buy it.

I wonder what happens to the "old” ones then. If you’ve bought all seven series, what do you do with the earlier versions which I’m sure still work? See? Waste of money because most people probably just toss the unwanted phone into a drawer, never to be used again. My advice to tech companies would be to take more time before flooding the market with "updated” versions which are really nothing but the old products with just a few tweaks.

I know it’s hard at a time when both investors and competitors start working on the next big device weeks after a new product is launched but that’s exactly why we have these frequent product recalls because not enough time is dedicated to testing out products before releasing them. And that is also why nothing lasts anymore.

Growing up, I don’t remember my parents replacing appliances that often. We had the same TV set and radio for years and yet these days, appliances stop working even before the warranty, usually a year, expires and you’d think that would help you get a replacement but you all know return policy is almost non-existent in developing countries. So you buy a refrigerator and a month later, the light dies or it starts leaking. I’ve bought three steam irons over the last two years.

First time, the cord frayed within weeks and I didn’t want to risk getting electrocuted so I bought a second one but it didn’t last long either because that little heat control knob got stuck on high and it was impossible to iron certain materials and so I had no choice but to buy a third which is still working but the container that holds the water doesn’t balance well on top of the spring.

If you have a steam iron, you know what I’m talking about. I have friends who complain about their toasters and blenders malfunctioning too so I know I’m not the only. Things just don’t last anymore and it’s not even about buying cheap appliances because even some established brands have issues.