The latest movie in the Spider-Man franchise has been out for a couple of days now, but there's a roaring dissatisfaction among fans. And the reason is Samsung, and specifically the aggressive product placement of the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold in the movie.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like a Galaxy commercial
One of the actual Galaxy Z Fold 8 commercials from the partnership. | Image by Samsung
Samsung signed a deal with Sony and Marvel studios for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie. This deal was tied with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 launch and was meant to reinforce the brand image.
The movie is proving to be a huge hit, scoring $1 billion in just six days, but apparently, Samsung went overboard with the product placement of the new Galaxy phones. The company already used the superhero to tease the foldables and also appear in full commercials, but the use of Galaxy phones in the actual movie was the last straw.
Have you seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day and do you find Samsung's product placement annoying?
Spider-Man used Sony Xperia phones in the past
The Sony Xperia (Z2) Peter uses in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. | Image by Sony
In the previous movies of the franchise, starring Tom Holland, and even in the movies with Andrew Garfield, the superhero has always used a Sony Xperia phone. The switch to Galaxy is one of the reasons many Xperia fans are furious on Reddit, calling the movie "one big Samsung ad."
They created an in-movie app, just to show off Ned's Galaxy Fold
- user -CL4MP- on Reddit
Peter Parker was seen using a Galaxy flip phone (Galaxy Z Flip 7, most likely due to filming schedule) even in the trailer of the movie.
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During the actual 145-minute movie, there are many instances where the focus is put on the Galaxy devices, rather than the plot or characters.
Like when Peter was scrolling Instagram before closing the Galaxy Flip shut or the scene where Ned opened his Galaxy Fold in a close-up.
Peter Parker has apparently found some money
Fans are also pointing out the financial situation around Peter Parker and his new Galaxy phone, citing change of priorities and going for a "nice" phone rather than paying his rent. Peter Parker have always been depicted as chronically broke, struggling with rent, bills, and low-paying freelance work.
In Spider Man: Brand New Day (2026), Peter uses a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 which costs $1100 at its cheapest. This is the reason why he is so poor
- user ESPMusic on Reddit
The recent change in the narrative breaks the original idea of the Spider-Man creators. Being financially unstable is one of the reasons Peter acts the way he acts, and his persona is strongly influenced by this specific lifestyle detail.
The switch is understandable, but the execution left a lot to be desired
Global phone brand presence by smartphone units shipped. | Image by Visual Capitalist
If we play devil's advocate for a while here, the switch from Xperia to Galaxy in the Spider-Man movies makes a lot of sense. Tom Holland appeared as Spider-Man from 2016 to 2021 in various movies in the Marvel universe, and back then Xperia phones were still sold in the US.
Xperia phones were far from mainstream or popular back then, holding around 3% of the global market share, but they were still around, and Sony Pictures used the opportunity to promote them in the Spider-Man movies.
The highest bidder wins, so we should not be too angry about Peter ditching Xperia for a Galaxy Flip. Foldable phones have been trying to establish a solid market presence for many years now. What's disappointing is the actual execution of the Galaxy ad stunt in the latest movie.
For many people, it was too obvious, and nobody likes to have products shoved down their throats when they just want to relax and watch a nice action movie.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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