After the fallout from the total recall of the defective Samsung Galaxy Note7, many observers worried that the company's reputation could be permanently damaged, leading to a lack of confidence in future devices and ultimately to lower sales. That appears not to be the case. In a statement, Samsung has proudly pointed out that US pre-orders of its latest flagship Android phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, have topped their predecessors by a remarkable 30%. Let the ritual self-back-patting commence.

Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge last year had been heralded as the best ever for the Korean company, but the reception of this year's bezel-shedding phones seems to have been even better. In the statement, Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said the news was "humbling, energizing and points to a great launch week."

Samsung has done some serious PR work in the wake the Galaxy Note7 disaster, including running a full-page apology advert in several newspapers and making TV commercials that talk up its "quality assurance" procedure. And while that may not be enough for some, it seems the mainstream buying public has been persuaded. That and the fact that Samsung does have two impressive new flagships on its hands, as you can read about in our recent review.