Samsung was as soon as recognized for its relentless innovation and feature-packed flagship Galaxy telephones. Whereas the corporate remains to be the world’s largest smartphone producer, it not enjoys the identical technical benefit over its rivals. No marvel its market share is quickly falling. Extra importantly, it’s shedding the belief of its clients and followers.
Whereas Samsung apologized for not innovating sufficient, that is not sufficient. In 2025, the corporate ought to tackle many different longstanding points to return to its glory days.
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Why this Samsung fan is rooting for the corporate’s marketshare to dip
Much less market share, extra innovation?
5
A extra compelling mid-range Galaxy lineup
Time to provide the Galaxy A collection the eye it deserves
Samsung sells over 200 million Galaxy telephones globally yearly. Nonetheless, the corporate has been steadily shedding market share, with its smartphone gross sales declining virtually yearly. IDC reported that Samsung shipped 57.8 million Galaxy gadgets in Q3 2024, 2.8% lower than a yr in the past.
Whereas Samsung’s premium Galaxy S and Fold/Flip lineup take up the limelight, the corporate’s mid-range and low-end Galaxy A and M collection gadgets account for many of its gross sales. There is a good purpose why its gross sales are declining.
The previous few generations of Samsung’s finances smartphones have been underwhelming, providing solely minor upgrades at finest. Many of those gadgets characteristic Exynos SoCs, which ship efficiency that lags a era or two behind their rivals. Worse but, Samsung instructions a premium for its mid-range gadgets. So, customers pay extra money for an inferior system.
With the smartphone market turning into extra aggressive yearly, Samsung must rethink its Galaxy A technique to stay the world’s greatest smartphone maker.
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Deal with longstanding points
Repair the sluggish shutter pace drawback
Samsung flagship telephones have lengthy been unable to seize shifting objects correctly in low-light eventualities. That is regardless of the corporate making massive claims in regards to the cameras of its flagship Galaxy yearly. You probably have a pet or child, this makes it unattainable to seize good images of them, as they’re virtually at all times shifting.
I’ve used virtually each main Samsung flagship, beginning with the unique Galaxy S. I stop shopping for Galaxy telephones because of this concern. Whereas Samsung has by no means publicly acknowledged the difficulty, it’s conscious of the issue. This explains why it launched the Digital camera Assistant Good Lock module, which incorporates an choice to prioritize shutter pace over focusing. Whereas it improves the scenario, it doesn’t resolve the issue absolutely.
It is comprehensible if Samsung took a era or two to resolve the sluggish shutter pace concern on its premium Galaxy telephones. However that didn’t occur, reflecting poorly on the corporate and the way little it supposedly values buyer suggestions.
3
Catch as much as the competitors
Time to cease being stingy with RAM and storage
For a flagship cellphone that prices $1,300, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely ships with 12GB RAM and 256GB base storage. Worse, the corporate needs you to pay an additional $120 to improve the storage to 512GB. It is the identical story with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which prices $1,900 and packs 12GB RAM with 256GB storage. Upgrading to 512GB storage prices one other $120, bumping the foldable’s value to a whopping $2,020.
Compared, OnePlus expenses an additional $100 to bump the RAM and storage on the OnePlus 12 to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. Embarrassingly for Samsung, the OnePlus Open is $200 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but it packs extra RAM and storage (16GB RAM and 512GB storage). Even Google’s $1,800 Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold ships with extra RAM than Samsung’s flagship foldable whereas being $100 cheaper.
It is even worse if you evaluate the bottom Galaxy S24 to its rivals, because it solely ships with 8GB of RAM.
2
Get again to innovating
Undertake newer tech, sooner
Samsung was as soon as famend within the smartphone trade for its relentless drive to innovate. It was among the many first corporations to launch a smartphone with a curved show and performed a key function in bringing foldable smartphones into the mainstream. Nonetheless, the present Samsung seems to be a shell of its former self, resting on its laurels quite than innovating.
Chinese language Android producers are launching telephones with 100W quick charging and 80W wi-fi quick charging. However, Samsung remains to be launching gadgets with 25/45W wired quick charging. Wi-fi charging speeds have additionally remained caught at 15W for nearly half a decade.
Equally, Samsung has outfitted its Extremely flagship with a 5,000mAh battery since 2020. Rumors recommend the upcoming Galaxy S25 Extremely can have the identical battery capability.
Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, and others are adopting newer Silicon carbon (SiC) batteries, permitting for denser and higher-capacity batteries. For instance, the Oppo Discover X8 Professional ships with a large 5,900mAh battery regardless of being lighter and slimmer than the Galaxy S24 Extremely.
That is not it, although. Samsung has used a 200MP major digicam on its flagship cellphone for the final three years. All leaks level to the upcoming Galaxy S25 Extremely utilizing a 200MP sensor with minimal upgrades. Within the meantime, Samsung’s rivals have switched to utilizing greater sensors with wider apertures for higher bokeh, low-light imaging, and dynamic vary.
1
Do not cripple the Plus for Extremely
The Galaxy S24+ may have been a lot extra
Because the launch of the Galaxy S20 Extremely in 2020, Samsung has favored its Extremely-flagship and handicapped the Plus mannequin to push the previous’s gross sales.
Samsung’s present Extremely flagship, the Galaxy S24 Extremely, packs a 200MP major digicam, a 10MP 3x optical shooter, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 5x 50MP telephoto. The Galaxy S24 Plus makes use of a 50MP major digicam, a 12MP ultrawide with out macro assist, and a 10MP 3x optical shooter. So, you get an inferior major digicam and restricted zoom capabilities on the Plus mannequin. For causes finest recognized solely to Samsung, its $999 flagship cellphone doesn’t assist macro images.
Whereas the Galaxy S24 Plus and Extremely shows can attain a peak brightness of two,600 nits, solely the latter has Gorilla Armor glass, considerably decreasing reflections.
The issue with Samsung’s strategy is that if you’d like the most effective Galaxy cellphone, you will need to get the Extremely and dwell with its 6.8-inch show, no matter whether or not you need such an enormous cellphone.
Google and Apple realized this error and up to date their flagship lineup accordingly this yr. The iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max are just about the identical, besides for his or her show dimension and battery life. Google additionally tweaked its technique, making the Pixel 9 Professional a compact flagship and launching the Pixel 9 Professional XL with related specs in a bigger physique.
All rumors recommend Samsung will comply with the identical technique for the upcoming Galaxy S25 collection, handicapping the Plus variant in favor of the Extremely.
2025 might be an essential yr for Samsung
To a sure extent, Samsung seems to have realized its mistake of not innovating sufficient. One UI 7 may mark the start of this new journey within the firm’s historical past, as its revamped UI focuses on delivering a greater person expertise. A lot will depend upon the Galaxy S25 collection and Fold 7. Early leaks recommend modest upgrades to Samsung’s 2025 flagship smartphone, although the corporate may have a number of surprises up its sleeve.