Samsung isn’t just copying Apple anymore — it is Apple

Joe Maring / Android AuthorityWhen the latest leaks and rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra dropped earlier this week, they created a bit of a furor in the Android Authority newsroom, and for good reason. Early renders show a wide horizontal camera bar stretching across the back of the phone. It replaces the individual floating lenses Samsung has used for years for a striking change that also looks suspiciously similar to a certain Pro-themed smartphone from Cupertino.For years, we’ve given Samsung a hard time for playing it safe with iterative designs. Now, I’m not saying that critiquing Samsung’s repetitive takes on the same design ID wasn’t well deserved. However, now that the company is trying out something different, I can’t really say it’s for the better. The problem is not that Samsung changed its design language. It is that the change feels less like a bold step forward and more like Samsung wholeheartedly adopting Apple’s roadmap as its own.I’m still in disbelief at just how blatant Samsung is being about it.What do you think of Samsung’s rumored Galaxy S27 Ultra redesign?0 votesSamsung’s identity vs. functionality dilemmaIf you’ve been following the Galaxy S27 Ultra leaks, you will know that the upcoming phone’s back panel is expected to look dramatically different. While these are still rumors, for a minute, let’s roll with them as fact because it is extremely rare that Samsung’s products don’t pan out exactly as the leaks say they will.The popular reaction to the leak is exactly what you’d expect. The phone looks like a cheap imitation of the iPhone, and looks something akin to what you’d expect from tier-two Chinese OEMs. Honestly, there’s truth to that reaction. Even leading Android OEMs like vivo and OPPO have developed their own distinct design identities.Samsung had a good reason to rethink the Galaxy’s design. It didn’t need to copy the iPhone to do it.It rubs me the wrong way because, like it or hate it, Samsung spent half a decade building a recognizable, minimalist design. Ditching that for a large camera plateau means giving up some of the visual identity that made the Galaxy Ultra so recognizable. It might sound superficial, but design recognition plays a big part in selling smartphones. The iPhone is a great phone, but it’s also immediately distinctive. Put two Xiaomi phones on a table, and you might not be able to tell them apart from a distance, but you’ll certainly notice a Samsung.Megan Ellis / Android AuthorityBut saying Samsung should have kept the old design ignores one of the biggest criticisms we had with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Magnetic accessories simply did not work with the old camera layout. The individual raised lens rings got in the way of magnetic charging pucks and snap-on wallets. That basically forced users to rely on third-party cases with built-in magnetic rings if they wanted to lean into the growing MagSafe accessory ecosystem.If Samsung wanted native Qi2 support with integrated magnetic charging, it had to rethink the back of the phone. I’ll give it that. But nowhere does that mean that Samsung needs to copy the exact same visual direction as its greatest competitor. There are plenty of other examples of smartphones with Qi2 support that do not crib the iPhone’s look and feel. Heck, you only have to look at the Pixel 11 Pro for that.Chasing Apple’s coattailsRyan Haines / Android AuthorityThe S27 Ultra redesign would be easier to swallow if it were an isolated incident. Instead, it feels like part of a much bigger trend where Samsung just waits for Apple to set the direction and test the reaction before making a move.When rumors started swirling about an ultra-thin iPhone, leaks quickly surfaced about Samsung working on its own slim phone. Sure enough, we got the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. When reports suggested Apple was exploring a wider aspect ratio for future foldables, Samsung suddenly started leaning toward wider cover screens on its own devices. Well, what do you know, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a wide aspect ratio.Samsung used to set smartphone trends. Now it seems to be waiting for Apple to set them first.Now, you might say that Samsung’s foldable is a natural evolution of foldable design. Except when poked, Samsung wouldn’t reveal just how long it had been working on the design. More than that, the timing of it is extremely suspect. Let alone the fact that the company’s true foldable flagship still follows its own distinctive ultra-wide design language.This raises a frustrating question. Has Samsung completely run out of original ideas, or has it simply gotten complacent? Or perhaps it just wants to preempt Apple in the market by releasing a product and hoping it sticks.We are talking about the company that pioneered the phablet, popularized curved displays, and helped turn foldable smartphones into a real commercial category. Samsung used to be the reckless innovator that forced Apple to react.Brady Snyder / Android AuthorityToday, foldables still account for a relatively small share of global smartphone sales. The mass market remains overwhelmingly focused on traditional phones. More so now that prices are shooting northwards. Elsewhere, with foldable growth leveling off, Samsung seems increasingly hesitant to take major hardware risks with its mainstream flagships.Instead of forging a new path, the company appears content to let Apple do the heavy lifting. Apple tests the market, gauges consumer reactions, and establishes new design trends, and Samsung follows — one small step at a time.It’s not just SamsungJoe Maring / Android AuthoritySamsung is far from the only culprit here. The entire Android ecosystem seems to be suffering from an identity crisis. Android manufacturers are trying so hard to win over iPhone switchers that they are slowly removing the quirks that made Android hardware different in the first place.Years ago, tech enthusiasts and, indeed, we at Android Authority, criticized smaller Chinese manufacturers for copying iOS design cues and interface elements. Today, the two biggest names in Android, Samsung and Google, are doing much the same thing: Samsung with its hardware design roadmap, and Google, to a lesser degree, by cribbing features like Camera Looks.Build an iPhone, but make it run Android. The goal for mainstream Android flagships increasingly seems to be matching the iPhone experience as closely as possible. That might make good business sense. But there is a cost to that homogeneity.When the biggest representatives of an ecosystem stop steering the ship and start following another brand, the platform loses some of its identity. Android was built around diversity, bold choices, and standing out from the crowd.Turning every flagship into an alternate-universe iPhone might help sell more phones, but it also creates a serious case of design fatigue for people who actually care about smartphone hardware. When every smartphone looks and feels like an iPhone derivative, why not just buy the original?It’s not all brands, of course. Vivo and OPPO, in particular, have crafted their own visual and brand identities around camera excellence, which makes Samsung’s inspired design even more egregious.Where do Android loyalists go from here?Joe Maring / Android AuthoritySamsung is not just competing with Apple anymore. In some ways, it is becoming Apple. By adopting Cupertino’s aesthetic choices and reacting to its product rumor mill, Samsung risks alienating the passionate user base that helped build the Galaxy brand.I’ll be honest, I’ve never been the biggest Samsung fan. But even I want a Samsung that sets trends, takes wild risks, and forces the rest of the industry to catch up. An innovative Samsung keeps everyone on their toes and improves standards for all customers.An innovative Samsung keeps everyone on their toes.The Galaxy S27 Ultra could end up being a fantastic phone. It could have great cameras, impressive performance, and excellent software, too. But, for me, if this leak pans out to be true, it’ll never be more than a cheap copy of the iPhone 17 Pro.I would rather have a boring Samsung than a Samsung that is simply copying Apple.Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.