Samsung Electronics has decided to remove its corporate logo from its new flagship smartphone Galaxy S6 and the Edge variant that will be sold in Japan, a spokesperson in Seoul confirmed on Sunday.

The new phones that go on sale from April 23 in Japan will not carry the “Samsung” logo unlike in other markets. They will be marketed as Docomo Galaxy and au Galaxy, named after their Japanese telecom service carriers.

“We think the Galaxy brand has been well established in Japan,” said the official, declining to further elaborate.

Samsung’s decision comes even as the world’s largest smartphone maker has yet to gain a firm footing in the neighboring country.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung made up a tiny 5.6 percent of Japanese smartphone sales last year, as against its 25.1 percent global market share.

Its archrival Apple dominated with 40.8 percent of the market, followed by Japanese players such as Sony (18.1 percent), Sharp (12.4 percent) and Fujitsu (8.8 percent).

That precarious position may have pushed Samsung to ditch its name and appeal to picky Japanese customers with its global brand name, the Galaxy, alone.

In the meantime, Samsung is renewing its upscale push with the Galaxy S6 and Edge phones, pledging to sell more than 7 million units.

The Edge version, which boasts a unique styling with a curved screen, is especially hot-selling in Korea.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)