Samsung's ditching of flagship phone portends Android turf war

A customer holds a smartphone in front of a Galaxy Note 7 advertisement at a Samsung store in Jakarta, Indonesia, October 11, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta

Samsung Electronics’s abandonment of the Galaxy Note 7 due to safety concerns will likely touch off a turf war among Android smartphone makers, analysts said, presenting them a rare opportunity to gain share but with less room for archrival Apple Inc. 

Consumers tend to commit to their choice between Apple's iOS operating system for smartphones and Google’s Android, leaving Samsung’s fellow Android manufacturers such as LG Electronics and Alphabet Inc's Google in prime position to strike. Both have newly released phones.