Congratulations, Samsung, you probably did it. You checked the final field after making a few of the greatest Android telephones for a few years and have change into the Apple of Android. Within the early days of Android, Samsung was accused, formally and by tech fans, of copying Apple in some ways. On the time, principally in software program. Nonetheless, Samsung has innovated and tried out new concepts in {hardware} and software program, at the very least when it wasn’t emulating iOS.
I am not the primary particular person to say this. I’ve written it earlier than, however Samsung’s telephones are boring. Throughout the board, the model has change into boring. Nonetheless, boring does not imply unhealthy. The corporate makes wonderful services and products, or it would not achieve success. That is very like Apple. But it surely is not this homogenized, stagnant development that made Android followers fall for Samsung. I am on the level the place, as a fan, I do not sit up for Samsung bulletins.
Traditionally spectacular
Lately bland
The final Samsung flagship telephone I used was the Galaxy S23 Extremely. I actually appreciated that telephone. Nonetheless, it appears that evidently it was with the Galaxy S23 collection the corporate determined to cease making an attempt totally. The designs have principally stayed the identical since then. Check out the Galaxy S25 and the S23. The evaluate of the S25 is titled “a small telephone with none huge concepts.”
Earlier than the Galaxy S23 collection hit, and Samsung turned boring and minimal with its design language, the Galaxy S21 collection introduced a singular design the place the telephone’s body melted into the housing for the rear cameras. It was an effective way to make the cameras really feel like a part of the telephone fairly than an afterthought. Have you ever seen that look the place it appears the designer forgot so as to add the cameras to the telephone and it appears to be like caught on there? It is just like the little circles that appear like stickers on the newest Galaxy units.
Samsung hasn’t at all times made nice design decisions. The Galaxy S5 and the again of the telephone had been referred to as the “Band-Support design” or the horrible software program pores and skin often known as TouchWiz. Nonetheless, as an alternative of quitting, going to a static design, sticking with it for years, and being complacent, early Samsung cell units pushed the boundaries of what was thought doable for smartphones.
Samsung was prepared to see what caught by testing wacky concepts. The Galaxy Digital camera mixed a smartphone with a full-sized digital digital camera, the Galaxy Nexus curved the telephone, eye-tracking options for scrolling your telephone with out touching it, and extra. However the tech behemoth received too cool someplace alongside the best way to innovate in additional methods than slapping AI into every little thing or an incremental replace and calling it “revolutionary.”
Learn our evaluate
An excessive amount of imitation
Has put a limitation in place
Gradual-to-change and rehashing designs have been a staple of Apple. Whereas the corporate had improvements prior to now, Apple deserves loads of criticism for conserving issues the identical yr after yr and telling everybody it is the very best but. This was the final field Samsung checked: the identical design for the third yr in a row, uninspired designs, and ecosystem-locked options. The final one principally applies to its wearables.
Together with designs turning into a secondary thought, so has innovation in different areas. It is like taking a number of photocopies of an image, which turns into decrease high quality with every copy. That is what Samsung has been doing. The Galaxy S23 Extremely was thought of an incredible machine. Nonetheless, every mannequin has been a bit worse since then, to the purpose the place the newest Galaxy S25 Extremely “now not lives as much as its identify.”
Samsung is not the one telephone maker that has gotten stale in its cell machine efforts. But it surely’s extra evident as a result of Samsung was once an innovator. A few of it’s because there isn’t any competitors within the US. For Android customers, it is Samsung and Google, which work intently collectively that they’re virtually the identical. With none exterior push from different manufacturers that provide aggressive merchandise at aggressive costs and thrilling variations, there is no cause for any firm to spend sources on altering.
OnePlus has been doing nice issues in the previous couple of years, nevertheless it will not have the ability to make a dent within the US if the corporate is not in provider shops. Apple will get away with it as a result of it’s the solely firm that provides iOS, macOS, and watchOS. Whereas that has advantages, Samsung goes down the identical path. But it surely is not the one model with entry to Android. Samsung has probably the most leverage.
There may be nonetheless hope
I consider
I need Samsung to push the envelope. I need it to get again within the sport of innovation exterior of slapping AI into each side of a telephone, and I do not imply by giving us a skinny slab telephone. I am glad a tri-fold telephone may very well be within the works. Nonetheless, Samsung must do greater than discover totally different shapes for its telephones. Software program is starting to be stale and bloated. Cameras are stalling or degrading. Thrilling is not a phrase to explain an organization as soon as identified for doing issues that others would not dare. As a substitute, Samsung has change into one thing no true Android fan needed: an Apple clone. Please come again, Samsung.