So although the Apple iPhone SE (2022) event is stealing the limelight a bit right now, Samsung made a big change with its flagship phones this year, and we’ll take another look at what this means for us – the consumers.
The Samsung Galaxy Note series, known for their large displays, boxy design and productivity-focused S Pen stylus is no more…
Except, not really – the Note name is no more, but the “spirit” of the Galaxy Note, meaning its design, features, S Pen and pretty much everything else about it – now lives on in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
So why the name change for what is clearly a Galaxy Note phone? Why did Samsung go this route instead of continuing to release the Galaxy S series and Galaxy Note series separately? Well – simplicity. And honestly, it’s a good thing for both us – the consumers, and Samsung itself.
“Power of the Note, recognizable name of the Galaxy S – I combine thee, to make things easier for both me and the consumers” – Samsung, probably
Let’s look at things from Samsung’s perspective first – simply releasing and marketing two sets of flagship phones worldwide each year is a huge investment. Not to mention the research and development, hardware assembly and software tweaks that precede each release.Say the Galaxy Note didn’t really sell that well these last few years, or perhaps Samsung investing into three Note phones didn’t seem like a worthwhile endeavor anymore, especially during a pandemic.
Now, flat out killing off the Note entirely would be a pretty bad and bold move towards Samsung’s niche, but valuable and dedicated flagship stylus phone fanbase… And on a somewhat related note, it seems to be getting harder for Samsung to sell three Galaxy S phones, since there’s little to distinguish them from each other. So it’s time for a big think – “How can we preserve the Galaxy Note, and also make the Galaxy S22 Ultra more distinguishable and desirable from the S22 and S22 Plus at the same time?”
We already know the answer to that, and to be honest – it’s a great move. Now here’s why it’s a great move for us as well – the consumers…
Call it obvious, but simplicity is the one big thing – having to choose between three flagship Samsung phones is way easier on the average consumer than having to choose between six. And oh boy, speaking of simplicity, let’s get into my main gripe with Samsung’s naming conventions – the Korean company’s budget phones could definitely use the same simplification treatment. Honestly…
Samsung’s budget phones desperately need a similar naming simplification, because it’s a confusing mess out there right now
So, Samsung’s flagships have been simplified – easy peasy. We all know the Galaxy S series and most of us are also well aware of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip. But…Samsung’s budget phones are a completely different story – there’s too many of them, and how they’re named is a Da Vinci Code mystery, to be honest. It’s easier to calculate the trajectory of an asteroid using an abacus than to make sense of Samsung’s budget phones, but let’s attempt to take a look at some of them anyway.
The ladder from Samsung mid-rangers to the budget and ultra-budget offerings currently starts with the Galaxy A52s, A52, M52, A32, M22, A12, M12, then there’s also the Galaxy F42, F23, A03, A03s, M01s, J-something… Oh wow, and we’re far from done, because who really knows what else is out there, carrying the “Samsung Galaxy” prefix?
Now, it’s worth noting that most of these phones you won’t even see acknowledged on Samsung’s website or sold in the common First World store, only the A series. The rest just “magically” appear in stores worldwide.
But even in emerging markets, they’re thrown in with the mid-rangers and the flagships. Imagine the headache the average phone buyer probably has to deal with to figure them all out. Price is the main distinguishing factor, while name means nothing, just a letter… with a number… and sometimes an extra small letter too… And that’s coming from one of the world’s top smartphone manufacturers, one that countless people are likely turning first towards.
Sincerely, we can understand that the budget and ultra-budget markets are ultra competitive, so Samsung is spreading out like the goliath of a company that it is – making sure to cover absolutely every niche in every region, from solid budget phones, to barely-functional but ultra-cheap Android Go ones.
Point is, I recently wanted to buy an elderly fellow I know his first smartphone, and was overwhelmed. Anything that carries the Samsung Galaxy name below the A series is confusing, and I wish the company would simplify those models just like it did with its flagships this year.
