If you’ve been following rumors about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 lineup, you’ve probably heard that the phones may imitate not just theiPhone 16, but even the distant, unreleased iPhone 17. Design changes could include iPhone-like rounded edges, as well as an “S25 Slim,” obviously inspired by the rumors of aniPhone 17 Slim. Or perhaps Samsung has its own industry sources, since it’s worth putting an ear to the ground when billions of dollars are at stake.
Samsung copying Apple is nothing new – it wouldn’t be a leader in the smartphone space if it hadn’t been quick to follow theoriginal iPhonein 2007. There was an expensive, years-long legal battle over the strategy. But it strikes me as crazy that Samsung is still at it in 2025 – you’d think that by now, the South Korean tech giant would realize it can accomplish more by setting out on its own path.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a modest upgrade to an already solid foldable
The company’s flagship foldable offers few upgrades over its predecessor, but it’s still a solid device.
Why copy Apple in the first place?
Unavoidable realities
Tech shoppers can be fickle, especially when it comes to expensive flagship phones. Some people will (consciously or unconsciously) sidestep products that look like older models, no matter how powerful their specs are. Customers spending luxury prices tend to expect luxury fashion aesthetics. There’s a reason Apple, Samsung, and even Google fill their advertising with attractive 20-something models in trendy styles that few 20-somethings can actually afford.
Customers spending luxury prices tend to expect luxury fashion aesthetics.
If nothing else, imitating Apple means that Samsung isn’t seen as lagging behind. I can’t blame it in that regard. If I were an executive whose seven- or eight-digit paycheck depended on pushing sales figures, I’d be searching for every possible advantage, even cynical ones risking accusations of plagiarism. Certainly, the strategy doesn’t seem to be hurting the company – while its Q3 2024 shipments weren’t anywhere near the record it set in Q1 2014, according toStatistadata, it’s still one of the top three smartphone makers in the world, challenged mainly by Apple and Xiaomi.
Why your next iPhone should be the 2025 iPhone SE
Every few years, Apple puts out an affordable iPhone that doesn’t feel outdated.
Good looks can only take you so far
The limits of fashion
The issue is oneI’ve touched on before, namely that smartphone evolution is coming to a crawl. Annual upgrades often include little more than faster processors, slightly better cameras, and questionable AI features. Even those speed boosts are often meaningless – you don’t need a state-of-the-art chip to run YouTube or Instagram, and few PC- or console-quality games make their way over to phones. The only thing that’s substantially faster on my iPhone 16 Pro is loading Google Maps directions inCarPlay.
This is a moment when companies like Samsung should be striving to be bold.
Minor design changes won’t help a product stand out, and I’m including the upcoming “slim” phones when I say that. Yes, I’m sure they’ll be impressive from a technical point of view, and fit better in our pockets – but is anyone actually complaining about how thick an S24 or iPhone 16 is? There’s a chance that the slim phones could actually be harder to grasp in your hand, and the iPhone 17 Slim is expected to make spec compromises in exchange. It feels like a solution in search of a problem.
This is a moment when companies like Samsung should be striving to be bold. There’s a reason foldables like Samsung’s ownZ FoldandZ Flipgarner attention – they both look and function very differently. They’d probably be outselling the Galaxy S24 in a heartbeat if they weren’t priced so exorbitantly.
The age of the annual smartphone upgrade is over… for now
It might flare back to life for a few years, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Is there a future without copycats?
Unlikely, but a worthy goal
Realistically, most smartphone makers are bound to land on similar designs, if not necessarily identical ones. They’re competing for the same shoppers, and there’s only so much you can do within the bounds of current technical limitations on processors, memory, and other components. For now, it follows that you should build a brick with a touchscreen if you want a simple and durable product.
Ultimately, I just want companies like Samsung and Apple to take risks with design.
As you may have gathered, though, simple is the trouble. Standing out means more than changing a few edges or slimming down. All this could be solved pretty quickly if Samsung makes foldables more mainstream – but there are things it can try in the interim. Consider the glyph lighting onNothing phones, or the modular add-ons companies like Motorola have experimented with.
Ultimately, I just want companies like Samsung and Apple to take risks with design. It’s easy to forget these days, but the original iPhone was a massive gamble. It was unlike any other smartphone. Even some prominent critics predicted it would fail, since it lacked then-common features like 3G and a keyboard. If companies want to avoid the commoditization of smartphones, they need to invoke the things that elevate products beyond a commodity – passion and creativity.
4 fun gimmicks I’d like to see on more smartphones
Personality goes a long way when it comes to modern phones.
