What you need to know
- According to a report by Korean media outlet E-Today, Samsung is considering a new smartphone brand to replace or join the Galaxy brand.
- The article compares Samsung’s ideas for adding brands to the auto industry, where long-time automaker Hyundai successfully added its luxury Genesis brand.
- The Samsung Galaxy brand is used on devices ranging from less than $200 to more than $2,000, so it’s not just used on premium products.
Following a corporate apology and disappointing financial results, Samsung may be looking to shake things up. According to a report from Korean media E-Today spotted by Jukanlosreve of X (formerly Twitter), the Korean electronics company may be considering introducing a new smartphone brand. This fresh branding will join or replace Galaxy, which has been a staple of Samsung phones since 2009.
“Samsung Electronics is known to be researching various ideas for changing or adding smartphone brands and launching new brands,” the article said, translated from Korean to English.
The first hint that Samsung might be considering changing its electronics brand came at CES 2024 when Lee Yong-hee, head of global marketing for Samsung Electronics, confirmed the idea for a new name. “Galaxy has so many lineups that I know we can expect new names when we hit a revolutionary turning point,” Lee said.
It’s unclear what kind of “innovative turning point” will prompt Samsung to launch a new brand, but Yong-hee is right. If the company had simply launched a new brand encompassing the same Galaxy products, with just a new name to differentiate them, the rebrand probably wouldn’t have been as successful.
Given the lack of innovation in the Galaxy S lineup in recent years, it’s no surprise that this kind of innovation would come from a foldable device. Samsung, for example, is reportedly considering a rollable or tri-fold phone.
Android Central reached out to Samsung about the E-Today report and its accuracy, but did not receive a response in time for publication. We will update this article as more information becomes available.
Samsung could learn from Apple
It’s easy to see why the Samsung Galaxy brand isn’t as strong as it was, say, 10 years ago. There are currently dozens, if not hundreds, of products called “Galaxy.” They range from phones to wearables and even full-fledged laptops. Compared to Apple, perhaps Samsung’s biggest competitor, it’s a stark contrast in terms of branding. The iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirPods are all unique, distinct, and successful.
When you hear the “Galaxy” brand, you’re not entirely sure what that means. It may refer to your smartphone, laptop, or earphones. Even if you narrow it down to the smartphone category, a Galaxy phone could mean the $200 Samsung Galaxy A15 5G or the $1,900 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. Part of Samsung’s overall success is the company’s willingness to cater to consumers anytime and anywhere. Price range in almost every market. That’s why Samsung usual We ship more smartphones every quarter than any other manufacturer on the planet.
People (mistakenly) think that everything Apple makes is premium, but that’s because Apple has acquired brand power. No other company does this better. Samsung may need a new brand to compete with the iPhone, one of the most powerful brands of all time. When that “innovative tipping point” comes, I think the company should create something unique. Samsung would be right to introduce a distinct brand, if for no other reason than to simplify things and get rid of the letters S, A, M, F, and Z.
Samsung needs to try a new brand, but it might not work
Whether the new brand helps solve Samsung’s problems ultimately comes down to one important question: Samsung. Is Galaxy a brand or Samsung? Not many people call their phones Apple iPhones, but some people call their phones Samsung Galaxy devices. In fact, many people refer to Galaxy phones simply as “Galaxy,” but I often hear people drop the Galaxy moniker altogether and simply refer to them as Samsung phones. If my suspicions are correct and that brand is Samsung, replacing “Galaxy” with another brand won’t do much good.
The Google Pixel brand is a perfect example of how a reboot can make or break. It’s true that Pixels succeeded in usurping Nexus, becoming completely different from the early Nexus phones and gaining the respect of the industry. However, Google Pixel’s market share is still negligible compared to Apple and Samsung’s market share. Rebranding was difficult in 2016 when Google launched Pixel, and it’s even harder now.
This has forced niche smartphone makers to either switch gears or drop their smartphone efforts altogether. Asus and Sony both offer their own phone brands, but Zenfone is no longer decidedly compact and the Xperia brand is struggling. LG’s “ThinQ” branding was also incredibly clunky when it debuted (and still is), and it didn’t help the company regain market share. The company also had a huge flop with the Wing, ceasing production of the phone entirely less than a year after the phone’s debut.
In 2024, I don’t think a new smartphone brand will meaningfully help Samsung in its fight against Apple and the iPhone. Indeed, it can’t hurt.
