Samsung’s smartphone copycat sport is sensible, however it is time to cease

If you happen to’ve been following rumors about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 lineup, you’ve got most likely heard that the telephones might imitate not simply the iPhone 16, however even the distant, unreleased iPhone 17. Design adjustments may embody iPhone-like rounded edges, in addition to an “S25 Slim,” clearly impressed by the rumors of an iPhone 17 Slim. Or maybe Samsung has its personal trade sources, because it’s price placing an ear to the bottom when billions of {dollars} are at stake.

Samsung copying Apple is nothing new — it would not be a frontrunner within the smartphone house if it hadn’t been fast to comply with the original iPhone in 2007. There was an costly, years-long authorized battle over the technique. But it surely strikes me as loopy that Samsung remains to be at it in 2025 — you’d assume that by now, the South Korean tech large would notice it could actually accomplish extra by setting out by itself path.

Why copy Apple within the first place?

Unavoidable realities

Tech customers could be fickle, particularly with regards to costly flagship telephones. Some folks will (consciously or unconsciously) sidestep merchandise that appear like older fashions, irrespective of how highly effective their specs are. Clients spending luxurious costs are likely to count on luxurious vogue aesthetics. There is a cause Apple, Samsung, and even Google fill their promoting with enticing 20-something fashions in stylish kinds that few 20-somethings can truly afford.

If nothing else, imitating Apple signifies that Samsung is not seen as lagging behind. I am unable to blame it in that regard. If I had been an government whose seven- or eight-digit paycheck trusted pushing gross sales figures, I might be trying to find each potential benefit, even cynical ones risking accusations of plagiarism. Definitely, the technique does not appear to be hurting the corporate — whereas its Q3 2024 shipments weren’t wherever close to the file it set in Q1 2014, based on Statista information, it is nonetheless one of many high three smartphone makers on the planet, challenged primarily by Apple and Xiaomi.

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Attractiveness can solely take you thus far

The bounds of vogue

The problem is one I’ve touched on before, particularly that smartphone evolution is coming to a crawl. Annual upgrades usually embody little greater than quicker processors, barely higher cameras, and questionable AI options. Even these pace boosts are sometimes meaningless — you do not want a state-of-the-art chip to run YouTube or Instagram, and few PC- or console-quality video games make their approach over to telephones. The one factor that is considerably quicker on my iPhone 16 Professional is loading Google Maps instructions in CarPlay.

Minor design adjustments will not assist a product stand out, and I am together with the upcoming “slim” telephones after I say that. Sure, I am positive they’re going to be spectacular from a technical perspective, and match higher in our pockets — however is anybody truly complaining about how thick an S24 or iPhone 16 is? There’s an opportunity that the slim telephones may truly be more durable to know in your hand, and the iPhone 17 Slim is predicted to make spec compromises in trade. It appears like an answer in the hunt for an issue.

It is a second when corporations like Samsung needs to be striving to be daring. There is a cause foldables like Samsung’s personal Z Fold and Z Flip garner consideration — they each look and performance very otherwise. They’d most likely be outselling the Galaxy S24 in a heartbeat in the event that they weren’t priced so exorbitantly.

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Is there a future with out copycats?

Unlikely, however a worthy aim

Realistically, most smartphone makers are certain to land on comparable designs, if not essentially equivalent ones. They’re competing for a similar customers, and there is solely a lot you are able to do inside the bounds of present technical limitations on processors, reminiscence, and different elements. For now, it follows that you need to construct a brick with a touchscreen if you would like a easy and sturdy product.

As you’ll have gathered, although, easy is the difficulty. Standing out means greater than altering a couple of edges or slimming down. All this may very well be solved fairly shortly if Samsung makes foldables extra mainstream — however there are issues it could actually attempt within the interim. Take into account the glyph lighting on Nothing phones, or the modular add-ons corporations like Motorola have experimented with.

Finally, I simply need corporations like Samsung and Apple to take dangers with design. It is simple to neglect as of late, however the authentic iPhone was an enormous gamble. It was in contrast to every other smartphone. Even some outstanding critics predicted it will fail, because it lacked then-common options like 3G and a keyboard. If corporations wish to keep away from the commoditization of smartphones, they should invoke the issues that elevate merchandise past a commodity — ardour and creativity.

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