The Galaxy S11 might not be Samsung's next flagship
Samsung Galaxy S20+ CAD-based render
The Galaxy S11 might be marketed as the Galaxy S20
Deciding how to market a flagship smartphone after ten years certainly isn’t an easy task because some strategies can eventually lead to rather complex names. But to avoid any of this, tipster Ice Universe claims Samsung has finally settled on the ‘Galaxy S20’ branding for its new lineup.
The Samsung Galaxy S20e
This huge branding change means Samsung is avoiding the total rebrand that executives previously teased, likely because of the costly marketing campaign that’d be required to build up the new name’s reputation among the public. It also confirms the company has no plans to replicate Apple’s strategy and is, therefore, avoiding extremely clunky names in the future such as Galaxy S13 or Galaxy S18.
The branding will be a new beginning for Samsung's flagships
As for what the chosen strategy means for future smartphones, Samsung may choose to follow in the footsteps of arch-rival Huawei by branding subsequent models as the Galaxy S30 and Galaxy S40.The South Korean giant would presumably continue with this strategy throughout the best part of the decade until the time comes to add an extra zero and release the Galaxy S100. However, as Ice Universe teased in a separate Tweet, there’s no guarantee any of this is going to happen.
Samsung is reportedly treating its updated branding plan as “a new beginning” for the flagship lineup. The tipster in question didn’t clarify the meaning behind this claim but it may mean the Seoul-based company isn’t planning to replicate Huawei’s strategy after all.
The Samsung Galaxy S20
Instead, future models could be branded as the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy S23. The releases would be in alignment with the launch year and the decade could, therefore, end with the Galaxy S29.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S20 series arrive?
Focusing instead on the near future and what's just around the corner, it is believed the Galaxy S20 series will debut at an event in mid-February. The lineup should be accompanied by the recently leaked Galaxy Fold 2, the improved Galaxy Buds+, and potentially some other products that are yet to leak.
If early reports are to be believed, the big announcement will happen on Tuesday, February 18, just before MWC 2020 kicks off in Barcelona. Pre-orders should kick off immediately after the event or in the early hours of the following day. Samsung's previous release schedule suggests the company will aim for a launch on Friday, March 6, in the United States and Europe, although it could surprise us all by starting shipments a week earlier on Friday, February 28.
The Samsung Galaxy S20+
As for pricing, it's believed the Galaxy S20 series could be even more expensive than the Galaxy S10 lineup due to the presence of 5G. The Galaxy S20+ is expected to replace the current-gen Galaxy S10 5G and will probably retail at $1,199. The regular Galaxy S20, on the other hand, will probably succeed the Galaxy S10+ and cost $999 in the US. Lastly, the compact Galaxy S11e could move higher up and cost $849 or $899.
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