Rumor has it that Samsung is currently working on its “Project Zero” device, which is said to be the next major Galaxy S launch. Unsurprisingly, that particular handset is rumored to be called the Galaxy S6. And while it may keep up the naming scheme that Samsung has grown over the years, those same rumors continue to suggest that Samsung is going to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the physical design of its newest flagship.
That could mean that Samsung is just going to throw some metal on the device, like on the edges as it has done in devices prior, or it could mean that Samsung is actually going to give its next Galaxy S device a whole new look. And let me tell you right here and now that I really, really hope that it’s the latter. Because I don’t want to see the same design anymore.
Recently, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A7 and when I saw it my initial thought was, “Oh, hey, that looks like a Samsung device.” Now, let’s be clear here: this is obviously something that Samsung has worked tirelessly on for years now. Every phone manufacturer wants you to be able to point out their handset (or other devices) without having to rely on the branding (not that any manufacturer is shy about branding their devices, of course). An iconic device is one that you can see from across the room and say, “That’s a so-and-so.” That’s good for a company.
I’m just tired of saying it for Samsung.
The Galaxy A7 isn’t a bad device (why do we need another upper mid-range/lower high-end one of these?), but it looks too much like a Galaxy S5. Or a Note 4. Or a Galaxy A3 or Galaxy A5, or . . . well, you get the point. I’m tired of seeing the same device every time Samsung launches a new handset. What is there to get excited about anymore if everything looks like the one that came out before it?
This is made worse by the fact that Samsung launches a few devices (that’s an understatement, obviously) a year, while other companies that may launch devices that look like the one that came before it (coughApplecough) don’t have that problem, because it’s one a year. I’m not even bothered by the fact that Samsung still feels the need to launch a ton of devices every year, because now I just want them to launch smartphones that look different. Not just different materials here and there.
The Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S lineups should look different. You should be able to pick out a Galaxy S or Galaxy Note not just by the screen size (even that’s becoming difficult), but because they have a physical aesthetic that really makes them look like they’re part of a specific lineup. The same goes for the Galaxy Alpha lineup, too.
But, that’s just me. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there that like the way the Galaxy S/Note/Alpha/insert brand here look, and don’t mind that they reuse that style over and over again. So, let me know what you think.
