This is why Samsung does not supply huge upgrades for its telephones

Samsung is the most well-liked Android smartphone maker globally, however my greatest drawback with the corporate is that its flagship telephones obtain few {hardware} upgrades in comparison with rivals. Don’t consider me? The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have new processors, however supply the identical charging and digital camera specs because the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus. Even the Galaxy S25 Extremely merely provides a brand new processor, ultrawide digital camera, and Gorilla Glass, however sticks with the identical battery and charging tech as its predecessors.

This may be irritating for Samsung followers and basic smartphone customers, particularly as producers like Xiaomi, OPPO,  vivo, and OnePlus routinely supply thrilling upgrades. However with all of this in thoughts, we will assume of some the explanation why Samsung seldom provides huge upgrades for its telephones.

Samsung ships extra smartphones than another Android OEM, and its flagship telephones regularly seem in listings of the highest ten best-selling smartphones. This creates an attention-grabbing problem, because it wants an enormous provide of components from companions to really construct all of these telephones.

This problem means Samsung can’t undertake a cutting-edge half in a telephone if its suppliers can solely produce a small variety of them. Due to this fact, the Galaxy maker could be compelled to depend on tried-and-tested components that suppliers can readily produce in large numbers. This might be why we don’t see {hardware} upgrades like one-inch digital camera sensors, variable telephoto digital camera modules, and extra.

Another excuse why Samsung may maintain off on main upgrades is that it’s apprehensive about security or long-term reliability. You solely want to take a look at 2016’s Galaxy Word 7 for proof of what can go fallacious, as faulty batteries resulted within the telephones catching fireplace. Airways even banned the telephone from their planes.

This saga is probably going why Samsung nonetheless performs it protected in relation to battery upgrades, because it makes use of the identical battery capability throughout a number of telephone generations. In actual fact, the Galaxy S25 Extremely has the identical 5,000mAh battery because the Galaxy S21 Extremely. In the meantime, the bottom Galaxy S mannequin has solely seen modest upgrades over time, going from the S22’s 3,700mAh battery to the S25’s 4,000mAh pack.

Against this, rival Chinese language producers usually use silicon-carbon batteries of their telephones, enabling extra juice for a similar bodily dimension or the identical capability at a smaller bodily dimension. For instance, the OnePlus 15 has a 7,300mAh battery whereas the OPPO Discover X9 Professional has a 7,500mAh battery. These batteries are inclined to degrade sooner than Samsung’s lithium-ion batteries, however they’re akin to, or higher than, Apple and Google’s conventional batteries.

This could be the principle purpose why Samsung usually doesn’t supply huge upgrades for its telephones. Newer components merely value greater than older components, so Samsung seemingly sticks with older, cheaper parts purely as a result of it nonetheless must make a wholesome revenue. That’s not a shock, as the corporate is a enterprise in spite of everything.

Nevertheless, it’s laborious to argue that Samsung hasn’t taken profit-chasing to new extremes in the previous couple of years. For instance, rival producers supply flagship telephones with 3x 50MP periscope cameras, however the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus keep on with an ageing 3x 10MP digital camera.

This concentrate on revenue additionally manifests in one other approach, as Samsung’s base Galaxy S mannequin lacks Extremely options like 45W wired charging and Gorilla Armor safety. That is seemingly for product differentiation functions, as individuals are compelled to purchase the dearer Extremely mannequin in the event that they actually need these perks. The agency additionally skips telephoto cameras on its Galaxy A telephones, ostensibly so customers need to pay somewhat additional for the Galaxy S fashions.

Business watchers like leaker Ice Universe lay the blame on the ft of cell chief TM Roh. That is comprehensible, as Samsung’s Galaxy S telephones began to stagnate after he assumed the place. Nevertheless, Roh’s tenure additionally coincided with Covid, whereas the business has additionally endured element worth will increase in the previous couple of years. However regardless of the underlying trigger, revenue concerns are undoubtedly a giant purpose why we don’t see main upgrades fairly often.

One understated purpose Samsung won’t supply huge upgrades for its telephones fairly often is that it doesn’t have a lot direct competitors on this house. In actual fact, colleague Megan Ellis rightfully identified that Samsung doesn’t have to fret about HUAWEI anymore owing to US sanctions.

Individuals neglect that HUAWEI was making up main floor on Samsung up till 2020, and it even handed Apple for the quantity two spot globally. Units just like the P20 Professional and P20 Lite had been huge sellers within the agency’s strongholds of Europe, the Center East, and Africa. Moreover, the corporate additionally popularized AI chips and periscope cameras. I’d strongly argue that HUAWEI saved Samsung on its toes and compelled it to undertake new applied sciences and massive upgrades sooner.

Samsung now not has stiff Android competitors within the US, both. Motorola, OnePlus, and TCL are the one Chinese language producers within the nation, however the very best OnePlus telephones aren’t out there through carriers, TCL doesn’t supply actually high-end telephones, and Motorola isn’t a constant flagship participant within the area. So Samsung may assume it doesn’t have to spend cash on huge upgrades when its largest market doesn’t have a lot alternative within the first place. It’s a far cry from the remainder of the world, the place OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, and different Chinese language telephones are available.

Samsung isn’t only a telephone maker. It additionally makes many components that go into telephones within the first place. This contains processors, RAM, storage, the show, and digital camera sensors.

Samsung could be obligated to make use of internally sourced parts in lieu of components from different manufacturers. The corporate tends to make use of in-house shows for its high-end telephones, fairly than probably cheaper or higher screens from Chinese language firm BOE. The agency additionally sticks with the identical ageing Samsung ISOCELL digital camera sensors, regardless of the provision of extra superior sensors each in-house and through different suppliers.

One distinguished instance of those inside obligations is the in-house Exynos processors, that are apparently cheaper than comparable Snapdragon chips however usually much less highly effective. The agency routinely launches Exynos variants of telephones in some markets (e.g. EMEA) however doesn’t supply the Snapdragon model in these territories, depriving these prospects of the very best efficiency. What’s notably troubling concerning the Exynos chips is that they’re nearly all the time made by Samsung Foundry, regardless of TSMC’s popularity for superior manufacturing prowess. This choice to provide Samsung Foundry some work nearly definitely ends in inferior efficiency and battery life at occasions.

There are evidently many potential the explanation why Samsung doesn’t supply huge upgrades fairly often on its high-end smartphones. This doesn’t appear to be hurting the corporate, although, because the Galaxy S24 and S25 telephones each delivered incredible gross sales. So there’s clearly extra to constructing a telephone that individuals need than a spec sheet alone.

However, Samsung is clearly coasting proper now with its Galaxy S telephones. Over 55% of our polled readers thought the corporate was taking part in it too protected, whereas simply ~13% mentioned it was nonetheless churning out nice flagship telephones. So whereas basic customers could be shopping for these telephones in droves, it could be a matter of time till they clever as much as the dearth of upgrades. This complacency definitely opens the door for an additional main Android model to steal a few of the agency’s market share, however who will it’s?