As we extend to the end of the year , and with no more proclamation plan until 2025 , it ’s time to revisit the two biggest phone players in the U.S. and liken and counterpoint the past 12 months for each .
TheGalaxy S24 Ultraproved to be a benediction and a curse for Samsung , and theGalaxy Z Fold 6reaffirmed that this was the case . Samsung ’s phones are fantastic , but clamber to stand out among the competition . Each competitor is direct different Galaxy features to best , and so far , Samsung has n’t pivot course .
In demarcation , Apple had a year to remember . How successful it was reckon on who you ask , and the answer will likely be attach to how useful they findApple Intelligence . alternatively of an immediate launching , this year serve well as a months - foresighted introduction to AI , done the Apple path . One of the right results is Notification Summaries , which I find useful to triage my inbox .
Samsung and Apple both had successful year in out-and-out dollar values , but there are contrast outlook on their future tense . Samsung is potential to debut theGalaxy S25 Ultranext calendar month , but so far , the leaks propose more of the same . That wo n’t do going forrard , so here are five things I trust Samsung does to beat Apple next yr .
Stop playing it safe
Samsung has played it safe the retiring few years , and truly so . PR nightmares around the Galaxy Note 7 and the original Galaxy Fold damage the fellowship ’s appetite to repeat those experience , and while this attack has bring for years , the rivalry has caught up .
The latest leaks intimate theGalaxy S25 serieswill be more of the same , lead our own Nadeem Sarwar to write thatSamsung has a smartphone blueprint trouble . I ca n’t help oneself but agree . It ’s hard to commend the Galaxy S24 Ultra or Galaxy Z Fold 6 as they ’re considerably hefty , despite being enceinte phones .
Samsung ’s risk - antipathetic approach has made sense so far . waste success has follow thanks to excellent Cartesian product paired with expert marketing . However , we ’ve date this story before : Samsung is one of the biggest make in chronicle , but no company is unbeatable . company like RIM and Nokia betray to recognize the contender , and story speaks for itself .
It ’s time for chronicle to repeat itself in a good way : Samsung has a knack for surprising the humans , and I hope 2025 is the year it does this .
Shock the world again
call up the Galaxy Note Edge ? Or the first foldable phones from Samsung ? How about the original Galaxy Note or theGalaxy S22 Ultra , the first speech sound to flux everything Samsung except for the folding concealment ? Each of these phones did something dissimilar and sparked a new geological era for Samsung , and the card needs that again the right way now .
Samsung has followed the same intention language for years . While it was dissimilar and refreshing at first , it ’s become more stale , especially as other phones have catch up and exceeded it in ironware spec . The best phones are thinner and lighter , charge faster , last longer , and have skilful cameras .
It takes up to two year of ontogenesis to set up a new smartphone , but give that the preceding three generations of phone have all followed the same process , there ’s never been a better time for Samsung to truly shock the world . Much like Thor inThe Avengers , there ’s a neutron star just expect to be rekindled . It pop out in the area most likely to surprise us : foldable phone .
Roll out the next generation of the Galaxy Fold
Let me tell you a story . My sister is a die - hard Samsung devotee and has been considering a Galaxy Z Fold for long time . She just told me that she try out it , and it ’s too heavy and bulky . Other kinsperson members and non - techie friends have express standardised , well - founded worry .
The key payoff for Samsung is that although it did n’t make the first foldaway — that was Huawei — it is undoubtedly the driving force behind the foldable category . Like how the Galaxy Note boot - started the big - screen geological era , the Galaxy Fold kick - started the foldaway era . Unfortunately for Samsung , it underestimated the competition .
First , the Galaxy Z Fold 6 . It ’s Samsung ’s biggest nomadic twist ever . It has a swelled show and come with anS Pen . It also has a narrower front screen , a marvelous form factor , and less intuitive multitasking than competitors . For each irrefutable , there ’s a negatively charged , and with every passing calendar month , this form factor becomes harder to recommend .
Samsung had such a strong head initiate that it failed to recognize the threat dumbfound by the rivalry . If there ’s a shiny example of the antithesis to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , it ’s theHonor Magic V3 : lean , light-colored , and fantastic , with inferior multitasking and a less streamlined UX . The Magic V3 shows Samsung on the button how sparse you could make a folding .
Then there ’s OnePlus . Last year’sOnePlus Openblew off the competitor , and a yr later , it ’s still good than Samsung ’s best this twelvemonth . It charges much quicker and has better battery life and a better camera . OnePlus even dumbfound Samsung ’s multitasking . Oh , and it ’s cheaper , too . Sure , it is n’t usable via carriers , and the keep web is n’t as extensive as Samsung ’s , but it ’s a compelling choice .
The result for Samsung belike swear on the next multiplication of openhanded - covert gadget . block a folding screen with a crease , how about a rolling display , presumably with little to no crease ? We ’ve already seen this in construct laptops and phones , but Samsung has the merchandising artistry to get consumers to buy in .
Thin is in for the Galaxy S series
I hump the characteristic of the Galaxy S24 Ultra , but it ’s a pretty gravid phone . This class has try that such a patronage - off is n’t necessarily deserving it , peculiarly as my current favorite Android phone — theOppo recover X8 Pro — is lighter , has a better camera , and lasts much longer than Samsung ’s best .
TheGalaxy S24andGalaxy S24 Plusboth apply the same render - and - tested innovation . Candy ginmill phone ca n’t hugely develop beyond their current state , and Samsung ’s design nomenclature is familiar thanks to its distinct television camera bezel and overall aim language . Some pinch can be made , but I think the Galaxy S24 Ultra is where Samsung needs to germinate .
Each year , Samsung shaves a little off the weight and heaviness of its earpiece , and the same need to happen in 2025 . I ’m also hoping that Samsung has addressed the weightiness imbalance between the top and bottom halves of the telephone ; although vastly improved over previous generations , the sheer size makes it unwieldy in one hand . Samsung ask to improve this , preferably by using a new design language for its Ultra phones .
Build a proper smartphone AI
reckon ofGalaxy AI . What features come to beware ? Many of these are Google - made features versus AI improvements and features that Samsung has made on its own . Apple ’s marketing around Apple Intelligence will further enhance customer expectation around AI , and with Google also promoting Gemini and its own devices , Galaxy AI will get lost in the mix .
I ’d like to see Samsung take an approach to AI that bridges the gap betweenGemini and Apple Intelligence . The former is more useful for research information and reproductive AI , while the latter is focused on using AI to better your daily life . There ’s a middle ground for someone to meet , and Samsung has the scale and resources necessary to pull it off .
Unless Samsung deploy a heavy military unit to develop its own AI — which still may be too tardy — its contender have a significant head kickoff . Apple Intelligence will continue to improve , Google has a pile of Gemini improvements that are likely planned , andChatGPTis full steam in advance .
Will Samsung accompany any of these good word ? That ’s the gilt doubtfulness and one that we ’ll proceed asking into next class . Whether it does or not , the competition — namely Apple — wo n’t contain , and I desire that next class , we will ultimately see the Samsung star reawakened .
