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Samsung is presently in the process of considering a rebranding of its Galaxy S lineup of Android flagships, the company’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin (DJ Koh) told reporters on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress 2018 on Monday. The executive reiterated Samsung is adamant to continue using the Galaxy name that’s one of the most valuable product brands in the world but revealed the either “the S moniker or the numbering system” may be scrapped moving forward. Recent rumors suggested the Galaxy S10 series may actually be advertised as the Galaxy X and consist of three devices – direct successors to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, as well as the company’s first foldable smartphone that has already been associated with that name on numerous occasions.
Samsung has a track record of rebooting some of its product lineups, which is what most recently happened with the Galaxy A8 (2018) series which bears the same name as the 2015 Galaxy A8 mid-ranger introduced in the summer of 2015. Regardless, the Seoul-based tech giant has yet to establish a precedented for doing a true flagship reboot, making the possibility of the Galaxy S9 successor having a unique name more likely. The next addition to the Galaxy Note family is expected to stick with the existing naming scheme and be launched as the Galaxy Note 9 in late summer but the device that follows it is likely to be rebranded along with the Galaxy S series.
Mr. Koh’s MWC 2018 appearance also saw him reference the company’s foldable smartphone project and avoid questions about the planned timing of its release. According to the executive, Samsung isn’t pursuing an industry-first strategy any longer and is instead now focused on delivering devices that are “worth paying for” regardless of whether they’re based on an unprecedented concept or not. While ZTE’s Axon M released late last year is advertised as a foldable handset, neither consumers nor critics are describing it as such due to its relatively basic setup that saw the Chinese company connect two separate screens via a hinge. Mr. Koh also confirmed Samsung is still pursuing a Bixby-enabled speaker and will likely debut it in the second half of the year.