Galaxy versus Android at the Superbowl
On the basis of (the not-entirely-reliable) Google Trends, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy brand is starting to overtake 'Android' in consumer awareness.
'Samsung galaxy' itself is some way behind Android, but 'galaxy' alone has equaled it, and I can't offhand think of another reason why that term would have shot up (suggestions gratefully received), while the spikes in the line are clearly correlated with 'Samsung' and 'Samsung galaxy'
US data shows much stronger iPhone share (which is unsurprising) and flat to-declining Android search volume.
EDIT: Google Trends seems to have broken, and is claiming there's no data for any terms for the USA. That's the last time I get clever and embed the chart instead of taking a screenshot.
This reflects a couple of dynamics. First, Samsung has around 50% of Android unit sales (outside China), so one would expect it to be strong. Second, given the lower price points at which most of its smartphone volume sells (the GS3 is less than half Samsung's Android volumes) one might expect a slightly less tech-savvy buyer, perhaps with more interest in the phone brand than the ecosystem.
Third, and most interesting to me, though, is the fact that Samsung really doesn't talk about Android at all in its marketing - which now has a $14bn run-rate budget (around 13-14x Apple). A lot of Samsung marketing for Android devices doesn't even mention Android.
You can see this very clearly in the new Samsung Superbowl ad. This has got lots of attention by (depending on your point of view) mocking Apple for trying to patent basic concepts or brazenly flaunting Samsung's systematic copying of Apple's innovations. But to me, what's striking is that it doesn't show the phones or any features, let alone mention Android.
The subtext, of course, is: 'the UX is a commodity, the apps are a commodity, the stuff Apple talks about is a commodity that's absurd to patent - we're going to compete on hardware features'. That's a natural angle for a hardware company with no control over the platform, of course. For now.