New Galaxy smartphones sold in Japan will no longer bear the Samsung name. The company explains that it has achieved sufficient market penetration in the country – but it is speculated that the move is really trying to downplay the links to South Korea, which currently has strained relations with Japan. The S6 Edge, on sale now, simply has the Galaxy name. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Japanese Facebook page has been rebranded ‘Galaxy Mobile Japan’.
Analyst Comment
Japanese consumers overwhelmingly prefer to purchase goods from domestic companies. Samsung smartphones are being outsold by Japanese companies with a much smaller global market share, including Sharp and Fujitsu, according to Strategy Analytics. (TA)
