The term “Galaxy” has become synonymous with Samsung’s Android-powered phones. Every smartphone in the company’s lineup, whether it’s an entry-level device that costs just over $100 or a foldable that costs $1,800, has the term Galaxy before its actual name. This has been the case since 2009 and every Android phone since has followed the same naming convention.
Samsung’s product lines have expanded and contracted over the years with additions and subtractions like the Galaxy M series and the Galaxy J series. Yet, the usage of Galaxy has remained the same. There’s a case to be made for brand cohesion across the entire lineup, but if a new report is to be believed, it seems that the company feels this is holding back its most lucrative devices.
Galaxy may be dropped in favor of a new brand for flagship devices
A new report out of South Korea claims that Samsung is internally mulling the possibility of introducing new brands, particularly to strength the image of its phones in the high-end market. Inspiration is reportedly drawn from how Hyundai has used its Genesis brand to effectively market its luxury vehicles.
Right now, all of Samsung’s phones are branded under the Galaxy umbrella. Perhaps there’s a feeling that the brand isn’t able to compete as effectively against the iPhone in the premium segment simply because while an iPhone is an iPhone, and there’s an implied understanding of it being a premium product, a Galaxy can be everything from a cheap Android phone to a top-of-the-line foldable.
An internal study has reportedly been conducted at Samsung for this brand revision. No alternate brand names have surfaced as yet, but the report mentions the possibility of Samsung dropping the “Galaxy” prefix for future flagships and just using the Samsung brand on its own. For example, that would make the next flagship phone the Samsung S25, instead of the Galaxy S25.
Samsung has actually done the opposite of this in Japan since 2015 when it dropped the corporate “Samsung” branding and only used “Galaxy” for its phones in the country. This began when the Galaxy S6 series came out and even Samsung’s logo was removed from the promotional materials. It took 8 years for the company to bring back its corporate branding in Japan, with the move being reversed only last year.
That move was driven by geopolitical considerations, this rumored change is based on the fact that more and more young people are gravitating towards the iPhone simply because it’s viewed as a more premium brand compared to Galaxy. The situation is dire even in Samsung’s home country of South Korea, where a recent survey found that 64% of respondents in their 20s said they use iPhones. If this data was narrowed further to women in their 20s, the percentage jumped to 75%.
Samsung’s desire here is to make an aspirational brand where Galaxy’s long shadow is not cast, reportedly, but what that could ultimately look like remains anybody’s guess. This may seem like a farfetched rumor, and it seems implausible to some extent considering the hefty expense and headache of rebranding the entire premium series, but you never know, stranger things have happened.