Samsung phone branding may expand beyond the Galaxy

Branding can be a powerful, easy way to quickly communicate certain expectations to your customers, which is exactly why it’s a tool so many companies take advantage of. Look at hotels, for example: Waldorf Astoria and DoubleTree may both be Hilton brands, but when you’re booking a room at the former you have a very different sense of the quality of accommodations and the expenses involved.  We see the very same thing with smartphones, like how Honor started out as Huawei’s budget brand. Now a new report suggests that Samsung could be thinking about shaking up its own product offerings with the introduction of some new branding.

Right now, “Galaxy” is the name of the game for all things Samsung and mobile, whether we’re talking phones, tablets, or wearables. And while the company does use branding to differentiate between premium and budget lineups, like we see with the Galaxy S and Galaxy A series (and even Galaxy M), these are all still Galaxy phones. According to South Korea’s E-Today, Samsung may be looking to further distinguish its highest-end mobile gear by positioning it under an all-new brand (via 9to5Google).

The idea makes enough sense, especially for a Samsung that’s trying to compete on more of an even playing field with Apple. Apple does have its iPhone SE, but even that doesn’t seem to register with consumers as a lower-quality, “cheap” phone, while Samsung’s most budget-oriented offerings, in comparison, make a lot more sacrifices to keep prices down — and consequently, associate the “Galaxy” name with lower-end devices.

As for what branding Samsung might go with here we haven’t heard anything yet in specific, but company execs have publicly expressed general support for new branding in the past, making this feel like the sort of rumor we may actually see pan out. Would a Galaxy S still feel like a Galaxy S by a different name? Or could Samsung maybe change up its branding on the other end, reserving Galaxy for its best stuff? It’s certainly a name that has a bit of weight to it — there’s not much bigger than a galaxy.

What name should Samsung consider for some future smartphones? We want to hear your best ideas in the comments.