Samsung has admitted defeat and stopped production of the Note 7 after it had initially recalled devices -- because some had reportedly caught fire -- and then issued new ones, some of which also appear to have spontaneously combusted.

So let's look at the winners and losers here:

Winners
Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has recently launched its iPhone 7, usually considered the most direct competitor to Samsung Corp. 's Android devices. Apple's shares hit a new high of $118.60 on Tuesday, after Samsung confirmed that it was discontinuing the Note 7. (See Apple iPhone 7 Rides LTE-A Speed Curve to 450 Mbit/s.)

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has just revamped its own-brand phone offering with the new Pixel phones. These may become an alternative to Note 7 buyers with refund cash in hand. (See Google's New Dream: Pixel, VR & an AI Assistant With Smarts.)

LG Electronics Inc. (London: LGLD; Korea: 6657.KS) 's new V20 is getting attention as a possible Note 7 alternative. [Ed: It should be noted that I had battery problems with an LG G4 after about a year. It didn't catch fire though!]

Losers

They're all losers!

But seriously, Samsung Corp. is obviously the big loser in this situation. The giant South Korean conglomerate said Wednesday that it could suffer a $2.3 billion loss because of the recall.

The concept of the "phablet" itself, which was pioneered by Samsung with the Note series, could also be in question. The company has said nothing yet about a next-generation model.

What do you think readers? Love your Note? Or prefer something a little more compact?

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading