Hey.
In the editorial chat, polemics sometimes unfold, which deserves the attention of a wide audience, as it raises questions that cause a serious intensity of passions. An innocent discussion of one of the new smartphones marked the nerve of the discussion, and it all started with the positioning of the realme 6i smartphone, which is located between C3 and 5 in the line of this manufacturer. I am sure that you are not very familiar with the line from realme, like the vast majority of living people. But you probably know something about large companies, for example, Huawei or Honor. Let’s play a puzzle, are the Honor 9c and Honor 8a budget models? Are these the older devices in the lineup? How much can they cost at least approximately? There are a lot of questions, but there are almost no answers.
Due to my work, I read about dozens of different models every day, these are not only phones or smartphones, but also laptops, accessories and other devices. To navigate in all the variety and the zoo of various models is not just difficult, and sometimes impossible. Remembering them by heart is an overwhelming task for everyone, except for those who encounter them on a daily basis. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at Huawei’s laptop lineup. Imagine that you liked the Huawei Matebook laptop, you saw it from a friend or colleague and decided to look after yourself the same. Of all the knowledge you have, exactly one is that this is the MateBook. In the Huawei store, you will find seven different models, two laptops from Honor (which is funny, since the companies disown each other and are considered “independent”).
It is difficult to search for logic in the names of these models, they are all united by the word MateBook, but there are no other lines on the company’s website. The analogy is clearly borrowed from Apple, which has a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air. But here the name also includes species diversity – D, D 14 AMD, D15 AMD. Another company’s name in a product’s own name is bad in itself, any marketer will tell you. Especially if the strength of your brand is greater than the strength of the brand that you put into your product name. And that’s why the AMD console is bad. But here all the logic is still lost, since there is no such set-top box for Intel-based laptops, but the price is higher. It turns out that this is a second-class product? The consumer should not delve into the logic behind the names, they should be simple and understandable. But here it is impossible to do it, to guess what was meant is absolutely impossible.
Why is there D in the title? What does this letter mean? There were models B before? C? Any other notebooks with a letter designation? There is also the MateBook 13 2020, here you can guess that the diagonal is 13 inches, and the model is 2020. That is, the previous 2019 models, but why then is it not indicated in their name? An attempt to understand the logic in the names comes across the fact that this logic is often absent and it becomes impossible to perceive names as something harmonious, thoughtful. You need to read the names of the models, look at the characteristics in order to realize what kind of device is in front of you and what it offers you.
Many people nod in the direction of Apple and say that their logic is fine. The MacBook Air line offers inexpensive devices, while the MacBook Pro are professional laptops with other components and a long lifecycle. Plus or minus correct reasoning, if you forget about the usual MacBook that was recently introduced to the market. This is a 12-inch model without any attachments. And to understand the logic of the name is just as difficult here. Why is this the initial model? Because it has the smallest screen size in that lineup?
On the other hand, you always need to know the model number in order to simply look at the characteristics – A1702 or something similar. For the iPhone, such numbers mean for which market the device was released and what frequencies, features it has. Nobody knows this from memory and does not pay special attention to it. But Apple’s lineup doesn’t have a huge variety, it’s really easy to understand. And it’s good that the company doesn’t include all unnecessary details in the model name – screen diagonal, processor, memory and other things. This is information that clutters the mind of the consumer, he just needs to understand what the purchased device is about. Look at the same smartphones, here the line is as simple as possible, the division is clear and understandable, there is no confusion. You only need to remember and know which generation is current in order to see and be able to read the numbers. And here we have the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max. The SE model stands aside, but it is intended, this is the most budget proposal from Apple, so it can be outside the usual framework. This is both a plus and a minus for SE, but such a choice was deliberate.
Samsung has, despite its huge lineup, in the last couple of years the logic has stopped limping, and now you can figure out which models are where. The flagships are the S-series, each device has its own serial number. So, the current flagships are S20, S20 +, S20 Ultra. The Ultra prefix means the same thing as the Pro in the Apple line, and there is nothing unclear about the meaning – the very, very device. In this aspect, the name iPhone 11 Pro Max, of course, does not seem so successful to me – oil is oil. The consonance of Pro and Max is self-evident, although Max is about the screen and only about it, but you just need to know. Otherwise, you get a super-duper-fancy product. Double amplification of meaning.
The mass line from Samsung is the A-series with indices, which show the positioning of the models, for example, A01 is the youngest, A30 is the middle one, and A90 is the flagship of the line. Approximately the same approach with the M-series, these are products for online sales: excellent performance, minimal mark-up. I will leave in parentheses attempts to create an A-series with an additional letter S at the end, the experience was unsuccessful and confusing. To some extent, he destroyed the harmonious concept, and it is hoped that in 2020 it will be abandoned.
But the approach of many manufacturers is that they multiply the same models, come up with different names for them, and it is almost impossible to understand this zoo. And often it is not even necessary, since you will definitely not learn anything interesting. How do they differ from each other? You need to look, even, more precisely, peer, in order to understand this. To some extent, we need to thank Xiaomi for this approach, their desire to overwhelm the market with devices of the same type has led to the fact that it is impossible to look at them carefully, you always need to strain and remember which device and what it is. There is no simplicity for the consumer.
But my greatest love is the laptop manufacturers, they have surpassed themselves. You choose a model, and then you need to choose a configuration that will result in a furious set of letters and numbers. But we all remember who owns a ThinkPad or XPS. And this forms a certain image of the product. Just ask someone in your environment for whom ThinkPad is, the unity of the answers will amaze you. Of course, if people know about such a name – for those who do not know, this is an empty phrase. But the perception of what it is exists. And this same ThinkPad differs from many laptops on the market, you may not know all these numbers in the name, in the nomenclature of the model, but you perfectly understand the ideas that were put into this product. Or, for example, Yoga, exactly the same story – laptops that combine several devices.
Another thing is that inside the Yoga line you can’t figure out the names, the devil himself will break his leg there. It turns out that at the very beginning I scolded Huawei’s approach in vain, because here I praise Yoga? Alas and ah, it is not. For Huawei, there is no problem of separating different product lines, they simply do not exist. And coming up with furious names is not because of the diversity of the offer, it is simply copying the approach of other companies.
Probably, the rationale is that people are accustomed to familiar “names”, that flagships have such and such names or indexes, models are weaker equipped with the Lite prefix or somehow stand out with a number. There is an established communication system in which it is difficult to come up with something new. And any attempt to go beyond the framework comes across the fact that the buyer is lost and does not want to think. This is not at all due to the absence of those in the companies who can think of something.
The phone market started with a limited number of models, so they usually had proper names. That is, each telephone was designated by a name. As the number of models grew, manufacturers switched to numbers, then to series of devices. And what we see today is a tribute to the current diversity. And here the winners are those who can designate, without additional explanation, the place of each model in its own line. So that the buyer does not read volumes of marketing information, does not listen to the lectures of sellers, but he himself tries to understand what and how it works in the market. In my opinion, this is the most important point in the marketing of large companies. And, of course, no abbreviations in the style of A45t235 Z3577, VA23-23-T1, TT2T-32 6-24, this is superfluous.
I think that it is necessary to write a separate material on the classification of smartphones today, such a review article will provide an opportunity to take a systematic look at the market. What ridiculous names and product names can you remember? Pay attention to such things or do you care?
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