Samsung is trying to secure a new advertising slogan. Specifically, the company applied to trademark the catchphrase “Open always wins.” Although it's unclear what the slogan entails, the two new trademark applications found in Europe (EUIPO) and South Korea (KIPRIS) hold a few hints.
The first thing that comes to mind upon seeing the “Open always wins” trademark is not a product but a slogan for an open platform such as AOSP (Android Open Source Project). However, it doesn't make a lot of sense for Samsung to feel the need to highlight the benefits of the open Android platform in 2023, when most people know the difference between a walled-off platform such as iOS and Android. So, what gives?
Interestingly, as noted by our colleagues at Galaxy Club, Samsung is trying to keep the trademark open enough to be used in conjunction with various products. But aside from the usual entries, such as smartphones, watches, speakers, and monitors, there are also entries for virtual reality headsets, smart rings and bracelets, and telecommunication apparatus in the form of jewelry.
Is this a jab at Apple's upcoming XR headset?
This new finding can't be a trademark related to foldable phones, as the benefit of these devices is that you don't always have to keep them open, and you can fold them in half to store them more easily in your pocket. However, the trademark could be related to Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring, which was trademarked in early 2023, or much more likely, the mysterious Galaxy Glasses mixed reality headset.
The XR project is carried out by Samsung in collaboration with Google, and the latter company confirmed at its recent I/I 2023 conference that it is “excited about our new Android collaboration [with Samsung] on immersive XR.”
Meanwhile, Apple is also working on its own mixed-reality headset, which the company could unveil later this year. So then, although it might be a bit of a stretch, the “Open always wins” trademark might be a marketing catchphrase that Samsung may want to use in its competition with Apple in the emerging XR headset market.
Samsung may suspect that Apple will likely offer its mixed reality environment inside a “walled garden,” similar to iOS. And in contrast, Samsung and Google could foster an AOSP-esque attitude toward their XR platform.
The Korean tech giant could be preparing to store an ace up its sleeve and slap the “Open always wins” slogan on future XR ads in anti-Apple campaigns. Or perhaps this has nothing to do with mixed reality, and the purpose of this trademark will never be fulfilled. Time will tell.
