Samsung is considering renaming the popular Galaxy S series with the next generation of smartphones following the current Galaxy S10 lineup, according to a recent report by the Korean news agency Yonhap citing Samsung insiders. No decision has been made just yet, but according to the report, there are internal discussions within the corporation in regards to what might be the best way to market future Galaxy S Android flagships.
The Samsung Galaxy S series has been around since 2010 when the first model was introduced running Android 2.1 Eclair along with one of the earlier versions of the Samsung’s proprietary UIs named TouchWiz. The series has a very rich history spanning across nine consecutive years, with over 2 billion Galaxy-branded smartphones having been sold throughout the past decade.
Having said that, the question is why would Samsung consider switching gears and rename the popular smartphone series, potentially distancing it from its own legacy? The answer is simple and it has to do with marketing. According to the recent report citing insiders familiar with Samsung’s global marketing team, it might be difficult for the popular smartphone series to switch to a double-digit moniker next year, and potential customers might have a difficult time pronouncing names such as “Galaxy S11,” “Galaxy S12” and beyond.
Because of this, Samsung’s marketing experts are reportedly discussing new possible names for the direct sequels to the Galaxy S10 series behind closed doors. The marketing team hasn’t decided on a new moniker just yet, but of course, there is plenty of time to think things through given that the Galaxy S10 smartphones have just been introduced and their sequels are one year away from seeing the light of day.
Although the report doesn’t outright mention this, logic dictates that if Samsung will indeed rename the Galaxy S series then it should do the same with the Note lineup in 2020. Later this year the tech juggernaut is expected to introduce the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, and next year the series will virtually be faced with the same marketing conundrum as the Galaxy S models.
Of course, Samsung is no stranger to rebranding its mobile products, but previously this has generally happened in an attempt to boost sales or to redefine the role of an existing series. Such was the case with the Galaxy On/Galaxy J smartphones which were sold exclusively online but have now been retired to make way for the introduction of the rebranded Galaxy M series.
Likewise, this year the firm distanced itself further from the Gear moniker by renaming its new wireless earphones as the Galaxy Buds. In previous years, the wearable was known as the Gear IconX. Samsung’s smartwatches were also renamed last year, abandoning the Gear branding in favor of Galaxy Watch.
In the meantime, Samsung’s new luxury smartphone was introduced last week simply as the Galaxy Fold which is quite appropriate given the folding nature of the device. Its direct sequels – if there will be any – will likely be known as the Galaxy Fold 2, Fold 3, and so on, until they may have to be renamed as well, assuming that they will exist for long enough to require a rebranding.