This yr, Samsung unified the design language of its S-series flagships, making the S25, S25+ and the S25 Extremely feel and appear the identical (barring the digicam). The curving sides of the S24 Extremely are lastly gone, changed with the strong, squared-off strains seen on the cheaper Galaxy S handsets. Flatter sides make the system simpler to grip, slide into your pocket, or prop up while you’re making an attempt to {photograph} them for a tech web site.
I’ll be sincere, they seem like iPhones. And older Galaxy S telephones. And, effectively, even older iPhones. Smartphones have hopped from flat to curves for so long as smartphones have existed.
With Samsung, we’ve gripped onto rounded sides from the debut of Galaxy S (2010) by to 2015. Then, the Galaxy S6 (2015) had extra flattened sides earlier than the sequence returned to curves for the S8 (2017). It stayed that means till the more moderen S24, with current years step by step hammering out these curves. The S25 sequence, now, has flat sides for each mannequin.
Are flatter sides truly simpler to grip? I don’t know. I’m a hypocrite. I’ve discovered a number of critiques and impressions items the place I really like flat sides. I’ve discovered the identical quantity of tales the place I cherished curved gadgets. Why do you have to ever imagine me once more? I’m certain there are tech journalists who’ve caught with one type issue being higher, however I couldn’t discover them.
Every time it occurs and the corporate explains its change, the designers say this lack of curves/ introduction of curves is best than no matter it was final yr. In an interview with Self-importance Honest in 2024, Jony Ive mentioned that Apple selected rounded edges for the iPhone 6 sequence as a result of they made bigger telephones really feel much less clunky. That was when the iPhone 6 Plus had a heady 5.5-inch display screen, which appears… quaint in 2025.
My concept is that our palms get used to no matter telephone type issue we’ve used for the final couple of years. Which means when the design will get shaken up (otherwise you swap to a distinct producer), one has to pay extra consideration to holding it. However that impact fades.
If the 2 most vital, most influential telephone makers have settled on flat sides, then there are causes for it. Till there’s an excellent larger cause to return, as soon as once more, to curves.
