Samsung may change Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 4 names due to Russian association

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Rumor machine: Samsung will unveil its next-generation foldable phones on August 10 at the company’s Unpacked event. We don’t expect to see too many changes this year, especially when it comes to the design, but there are rumors that the company is making a minor but significant name change to both devices.

According to leaker SnoopyTech, Samsung will remove the “Z” from the names of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, a change that will also apply to all future foldables in the series.

While the majority of consumers tend not to mention the Z part when talking about Galaxy Folds and Galaxy Flips, the reason for Samsung’s alleged decision is the negative connotation behind the letter following the invasion of Ukraine. by Russia.

Hand-painted Z-shaped letters were spotted on Russian military tanks and trucks on the Ukrainian border days before the invasion in February, and since then they have been used as a symbol of support for Russia. There are several theories as to what it represents, from Zapad (west), where Russian troops were stationed, to Za pobedu (“for victory”).

A Russian news anchor in April claimed that the Z was actually two number 7s on top of each other, one of them upside down and reversed, representing 77 years since VE Day, the end of World War II.

It’s still just a rumor that should be taken with a dose of salt, but it’s believable, especially since Samsung has already removed the Z from the Flip 3 and Fold 3 in Baltic countries like Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia in April. The company is also one of several companies to have stopped doing business in Russia, after banning smartphone shipments to the country in March.

In May, Russian DOTA 2 player Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko had his team disqualified from a tournament and had his contract terminated after displaying what appeared to be the Z symbol during a live match. He claimed it was an “accident” without apologizing.

We’ll find out if Samsung’s next phones are called the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 4 or if they’re dropping the Z in exactly one week from now. In the meantime, check out these official leaked renders of the two devices, which display the letter Z.