The new Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra are less than two weeks away from being officially unveiled now (February 1, save the date), and unsurprisingly, we continue to receive official renders of the newly leaked phones.
Well, one of those official-looking renders seems to have sparked what phone nerds would call “an uproar” on Twitter. The image shows a side view of Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 phone, which is strongly reminiscent of the iPhone 14 Pro marketing material we saw last fall at Apple’s flagship unveiling.
In fact, it’s not just the way the Galaxy S23 is positioned in the image, but also the way the glossy aluminum frame of the phone gives off a similar glow to the iPhone 14 Pro, with colors soft but premium. In all fairness,
I wouldn’t pay so much attention to it if it weren’t for two things:
- People (and by that I mean tech enthusiasts) seem to really care about the small details (still mind blowing, by the way)
- As a company that’s taken many pokes at Apple and the iPhone with overtly targeted ad campaigns, Samsung certainly isn’t shy about taking inspiration from how Cupertino does certain things.
Yet this story is not based solely on this marketing image. Instead, let’s talk about Samsung’s bizarre (probably one-sided) “love and hate” relationship with Apple and the iPhone. Turns out a lot of Twitter users find them a bit “bland”, and while I really like some aspects of Samsung’s design, I think I can understand why some Android users are disappointed…
The design of the Galaxy S23 shows that Samsung has firmly embraced Apple’s idea of ”slow innovation”; forget the Android competition
Galaxy S22 (left) and Galaxy S23 (right).
As someone who does everything I do (we’re not sure yet) for a living, it’s not hard to see Samsung emulating Apple’s “incremental upgrade” strategy for 2- 3 years now. And as I’ve shared in recent stories, I actually think it’s the right move, because it gives the South Korean company enough time to pay close attention to certain user experience details and successfully delivering exceptional Galaxy flagships (which Samsung has been doing for a few years now).
That being said, what I certainly don’t mean by that is that Samsung should put itself in an “Apple box” and give us nearly identical phones 2-3 years in a row. Before you ask, yes, Apple can (and does) get away with it, but that’s only because the iPhone is the only phone in the world that runs iOS.
Samsung, on the other hand, competes with a ton of other Android phone makers, and lately it seems some of them have gotten really good at…design.
As I said before, phone buyers mainly choose with their eyes, and so this aspect of phones could turn out to be much more important than some thought:
- Google has been offering some of the newest and most well-received Pixel phones for two years, thanks in particular to the Pixel 6 Pro, which (to me) is also the most beautiful smartphone I’ve ever had. like the Pixel 7 series, which everyone seems to like (me – not as much as I liked the Pixel 6)
- As another example of betting on looks, there’s the Nothing Phone 1, which, at its core, isn’t all that different from any other $400 phone on the market; his special power is that he happens to be dressed in a very shiny outfit; founder Carl Pei referenced Nothing’s choice to rely on design as a selling point in order to make the Phone 1 stand out in a sea of similar-looking tiles; judging by the reception quality of the device, it could have been a successful experience
- Another example of “forward thinking” in the world of phones comes from Xiaomi – namely the Xiaomi 13; what’s interesting here is that the Chinese phone maker is somehow trying to steal Samsung’s thunder by giving us the phone with the thinnest bezels (a title that belonged to the Galaxy S22); Xiaomi is also leaning into the idea of making phones that not only work but also look like… real cameras – of course, the ‘living’ proof being the Xiaomi 12S Ultra (heart emoji; right up my alley)
Buckle up! Twitter users react to new Galaxy S23 design; find it “boring”; too similar to cheaper Galaxy phones
Now I haven’t brought up the aforementioned design examples (Pixel, Nothing Phone, Xiaomi) for no reason – as I’ve escaped, these are all phones/designs that the general public seem to like and often praise on the networks social. They’re eye-catching, but they also stand out in a very different way… Meanwhile, the new Galaxy S23 series of phones look almost identical to their predecessors – if not even a little more bland, at least if we look at the backs of the new flagships of Samsung.
Another topic that has been discussed on tech Twitter is why Samsung isn’t “afraid” of making its flagship phones look like its mid-range devices, and while that’s probably good news for those who buy phones Galaxy more affordable, I can see why Samsung fans want the company to differentiate the $1,000 “S” series from the $300-500 “A” line.
The new Galaxy S23 and A54 should look almost identical, not only from the back but also from the front. Again, great news for anyone looking to get a Galaxy A54, but perhaps something that makes users who are willing to spend more feel a little less ‘special’.
Even after the official renders, I don’t find it (the design of the Galaxy S23) that good. It lacks character and the design of the S22 was almost perfect, had a strong character and was unique. Unnecessary change, in my opinion. Now this beautiful design (of the S22) is becoming obsolete… It didn’t deserve this. Twitter
This is the A series (see image above). They are slowly killing the S-series/making it similar to the A-series to really push the Z-series as high-end flagships. Twitter
“iPhone…too much? »
Time is up! The Galaxy S24 is to bring an exciting new look (highly recommended); Samsung might want to stop ‘mocking’ Apple and focus on itself (totally optional)
Anyway, I’m not writing this story to teach Samsung a lesson (why would I be able to teach anything to a company worth billions anyway), but to try to talk of what many other Samsung users are already discussing on social media…
To be even more personal, I think the Galaxy S23 and S23+ will be among the most beautiful phones on the market… from the front! That’s thanks to Samsung’s use of symmetrical bezels (rumored to get even thinner this year) and a tiny punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera that makes it look like the “dynamic island” of the game. to a dynamic subcontinent (from an iPhone 14 Pro / Pixel 7 Pro user).
But just as there aren’t two opinions that the new Galaxy S23 will look much cleaner than the iPhone 14 Pro from the front, the general consensus online seems to be that the S23 phones look like a bit too bland and unexciting when photographed next to a Pixel 7, Nothing Phone or even the new OnePlus 11 (which brings the big camera power).
Samsung should (probably) take a little more risk, and (maybe) stop “mocking” Apple
- Grow some cojones (and I mean the nicest way possible) and take a look at what Google (fair enough, a company with not much to lose) is doing with the Pixel line; in other words, don’t be afraid to give us something bold and different, Samsung! ; at this point I am specifically referring to the Galaxy Fold/Flip 5 and Galaxy S24 series)
- Maybe (just maybe) break the habit of “mocking” Apple through video ads that I find funny, on occasion, but mostly cringe-worthy; it only makes Cupertino appear as the most mature, focused and focused brand, while making Samsung appear as the complete opposite; it also puts a big question mark back on Samsung’s carte blanche for inspiration in marketing, design, etc. of Apple and the iPhone.
As always, whether you agree or disagree with what I’m saying, the comments section is open! Would you like Samsung to get a little bolder when it comes to the aesthetics of new phones, and what do you think of all this “making fun of the competition” thing?
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