I started thinking that marketing people lost their minds a long time ago, but I was reminded today, when I passed a Nissan Leaf on the highway. I get that it’s an electric car and is environmentally friendly… Mother Nature, tree, leaf. I get that. But doesn’t this sentence from Motor Trend’s web site kind of sound funny?
“What it lacks in horsepower, the Leaf makes up in torque and top speed.”
I just don’t associate a leaf with torque.
Anyway, this got me thinking that the manufacturers of smartphones and tablets are now facing the same battle — finding compelling names for their new devices, especially since there seems to be a new one on the market every 37 seconds.
Some of the worst offenders:
Samsung’s Galaxy S variations kill me: Samsung Fascinate, Samsung Continuum, Samsung Stratosphere, Samsung Mesmerize, and Samsung Galaxy Indulge. They sound like they came out of a hallucinogen-fueled night at the planetarium.
HTC seems to be a repeat offender with the likes of the Trophy and the Thunderbolt. That brings to mind warring gods to me. What does that have to do with a smartphone? Also, with all the lore out there about exploding smartphones at the gas station, do you really think consumers want to have a Thunderbolt up to their ear?
So, let’s see what you guys think. Take the poll below, and vote for what you consider to be the worst name for a smartphone.
