Matthew Cooper 
Dec 06, 2023
Let's cut to the chase — smartphone design has hit a wall. There, I said it. The frenzy for innovative designs has waned, leaving us in an era where distinctions among phone models have become as subtle as a whisper in a crowded room.
Take a look at the latest smartphones, and tell me if your pulse quickens with excitement. Spoiler alert: it won't. They all bear an uncanny resemblance, with minor tweaks that hardly count as revolutionary. Face it, there's nothing groundbreaking brewing on the design horizon.
Sure, there's chatter about the front camera diving under the screen. A nifty move, indeed, but let’s not act like it’s going to revolutionise the phone you hold in your hand. Some Android giants like Samsung have already taken the plunge with the Galaxy Z Fold, while the iPhone eagerly hops on the bandwagon with Face ID sensors rumoured to dive beneath the display.
Read more: Exclusive preview — Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra leak reveals razor-thin bezels
But really, let’s not kid ourselves. Foldable phones aside, there's nothing that can drastically alter the current phone blueprint. So, excuse me for scoffing at the buzz about Samsung's supposed revamp of the Galaxy S25 or the finger-pointing at the newest iPhone for its uncanny resemblance to its predecessor. Honestly, the iPhone 16 looking similar to the iPhone 15 isn't a crime against humanity.
Remember when the term "all-screen" smartphones emerged? Those early contenders sported sizable top and bottom bezels, and we were awestruck. Fast forward, and the notch, the hole-punch display, the Dynamic Island — they all took their turn in the limelight. Yet, here we are, stagnant. We've maxed out the display size, and that's pretty much the crux of the matter.
In 2023 or 2024, let’s agree to bury the bezel debate. Back in 2017, it mattered, but now? It’s microscopic enough to be inconsequential. Ice Universe’s incessant ramblings about bezel sizes on smartphones and the impending Galaxy S25 release seem trivial in the grand scheme.
Curved screens or flat screens? Who cares about visual design? The durability aspect is what tips the scale in favour of the latter. And those rounded corners or edges? They’re more about accommodating features like styluses than stirring any design revolution.
The saga of the camera bump? Spare me. Its placement, protrusion levels, or lens arrangement — it’s all secondary to achieving stellar smartphone photography. So, let’s not hold our breath for its disappearance any time soon.
And the iPhone 16 series? Brace yourself for déjà vu because it’ll likely mimic its predecessor, except for a size boost to accommodate those fancy zoom cameras. Necessary for sure, but hardly a design marvel. Google’s Pixel 9? Don’t expect a radical makeover there either.
So, forgive my eye-rolling when I stumble upon claims of Samsung's imminent Galaxy S25 redesign or the next "boring" design fuss. We missed the design revolution bus a while back. At best, we're left with minor tweaks, like when Apple decided to recycle the iPhone 4 design with the iPhone 12. Samsung, well, it’s been shadowing Apple’s moves more discreetly, resulting in the recent shift to flat edges and the imminent titanium-framed Galaxy S23.
Speaking of which, titanium in smartphone design is noteworthy, not so much for its durability but for its impact on handset weight.
Still, don’t let a mundane design deter you from snagging the latest smartphones. If you seek a design saviour amidst this monotony, foldable phones might offer a breath of fresh air.
Ultimately, when picking your next phone, prioritise battery life, chip performance, camera finesse, and screen quality over the boring rectangular shape. By 2024, built-in personal AI features will likely be the next big thing to sway your choice.
