This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The super-slim flagship trend is one of the more inexplicable developments in the smartphone world, considering what people want from their phones. Virtually everyone says they’d prefer a thicker device with a bigger battery that can last longer.
On the surface, Samsung is sacrificing what users say is the most important aspect of a smartphone for pure aesthetics, which is surprising. But what’s truly baffling is that such sacrifice is unnecessary.
What would be a priority for you?
Bigger battery, no matter what
46.67%
Thinner phone, no matter what
0%
Some sort of balance, maybe
53.33%
I don’t care about either of those
0%
There is a battery technology that can provide bigger capacity in a smaller package, but Samsung won’t use it. Instead, the company will stick to the old-school lithium-ion batteries and act like, well, Apple.
Samsung used to mean innovation and risk
Samsung has seven generations of foldable devices, while Apple is yet to release its first | Image Source — PhoneArena
Back in the day, Samsung was at the cutting edge of smartphone technology. The company was always trying things, sometimes to a fault. Its phones were crammed with features and utilized the latest technology.
Meanwhile, Apple has always played it safe, waiting for new tech to mature before using it on an iPhone.
That’s why Samsung changed the smartphone world with the Galaxy Note, while it took Apple years before joining the big-phone party with the iPhone 6 Plus. That’s also why we’re having the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 while Apple is yet to launch an iPhone Fold.
Samsung’s approach was, of course, risky, and the company had its low moments. We still remember the Galaxy Note 7 battery drama and the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold series. Those are incidents that could obliterate other companies, but not Samsung. It’s what pushed the company to improve, or at least that’s what it wanted us to believe.
Today’s Samsung is like Apple 2.0
The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a meager 2,900 mAh battery | Image Source — PhoneArena
Today, the innovative, risk-taking, and exciting Samsung appears to be gone. The Galaxy S26 Edge was supposed to address the gaps left by the S25 Edge and combine great design with innovative battery technology.
Instead, Samsung is going the Apple way and is sitting out on the silicon-carbon batteries that are already changing people’s expectations about what smartphones are capable of.
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Manufacturers in China are embracing the technology and are launching some exciting devices. Oppo’s Ace 6 Max was just launched with a 7,000 mAh battery. Honor released an 8,000 mAh phone in April. OnePlus is rumored to use a 7,000 mAh battery in the OnePlus 15. Realme just showed a concept for a 15,000 mAh phone.
Meanwhile, Samsung is rumored to release the Galaxy S26 Ultra with the same 5,000 mAh battery capacity seen on every one of its top-tier flagships since 2020. Unsurprisingly, Apple is also sticking to the old ways, and the iPhone 17 Air may have a tiny 2,900 mAh battery.
The two biggest smartphone companies in the world appear to now look in the same disappointing direction. For Apple, that’s just a continuation of a long history of waiting a bit too long before using some innovative technologies.
For Samsung, this is a fall from grace, which is disappointing and sad, even for me, an Apple fan.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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