The Galaxy Note7 is in full-on product free-fall right now. Retailers are pulling it off shelves, Samsung has stopped production, and the once-deemed-"safe" versions of the phone are very obviously not. Things, frankly, could not have gone worse for Samsung. The Note7's launch has been brought to a screeching halt, and while many consumers may have been OK with Samsung's first battery fire flub given the relatively quick turnaround and response, this second round simply has no hope of retaining that goodwill.

This means Samsung will have to be walking-on-glass-covered-in-vinegar-and-angry-snakes levels of careful in how it manages what happens next.