Samsung appears to have dropped the Z designation for its Galaxy Fold 3 and Flip 3 in some Eastern European countries. This decision seems motivated by the war in Ukraine, the Z having become a rallying symbol for the Russians who support the invasion.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 have been rebranded in the Baltics. As noted by the Sammobile site, the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian sites of Samsung have changed the name of the smartphones as well as their graphic charter. They are called now Galaxy Fold 3 and Flip 3, simply.
This change currently only affects the Baltic countries. On the sites of other European countries, such as France, the Z remains in place. The other eastern countries, such as Poland, Romania and Moldova, are not (yet) concerned.
Samsung changes the name of smartphones because of the war in Ukraine
All ranges of Galaxy smartphones are associated with a letter. We have the Galaxy A, entry and mid-range, the Galaxy S, the historical high-end, and the Z. The Z is dedicated to foldable terminals. It is true that the shape of the letter is explicit and allows you to immediately understand what we are talking about.
Read also – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 test: the smartphone that folds in half… and even in four
However, the Z has also become thehe symbol of pro war in Ukraine. From the start of the Russian invasion, Internet users noticed the last letter of the alphabet tagged on armored vehicles. The Z very quickly became the rallying sign of Putin’s supporters, especially in his country. The Baltic countries, which border Russia and Belarus, fear Russian expansionism in the future. To avoid any misunderstanding, Samsung would therefore have decided to simply remove the Z from the name of its smartphones. The manufacturer has not yet commented on this news.
As a reminder, the Galaxy Z range is the two foldable smartphones from Samsung. This summer, the Korean brand should feature the two new iterationsnamely the Fold 4 and the Flip 4. The Z should always be present in the name of smartphones in Western Europe.
