All the reasons why Samsung doesn’t offer big upgrades for its phones

Samsung is the hottest Android smartphone maker globally, however my greatest downside with the firm is that its flagship phones obtain few {hardware} upgrades in comparison with rivals. Don’t imagine me? The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have new processors, however offer the similar charging and digicam specs as the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus. Even the Galaxy S25 Extremely merely affords a brand new processor, ultrawide digicam, and Gorilla Glass, however sticks with the similar battery and charging tech as its predecessors.

This may be irritating for Samsung followers and basic smartphone shoppers, particularly as producers like Xiaomi, OPPO,  vivo, and OnePlus routinely offer thrilling upgrades. However with all of this in thoughts, we will assume of some reasons why Samsung seldom affords big upgrades for its phones.

Samsung ships extra smartphones than every other Android OEM, and its flagship phones continuously seem in listings of the high ten best-selling smartphones. This creates an attention-grabbing problem, because it wants a large provide of components from companions to really construct all of these phones.

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. Subsequently, the Galaxy maker is perhaps compelled to depend on tried-and-tested components that suppliers can readily produce in large numbers. This could possibly be why we don’t see {hardware} upgrades like one-inch digicam sensors, variable telephoto digicam modules, and extra.

Another excuse why Samsung may maintain off on main upgrades is that it’s nervous about security or long-term reliability. You solely want to have a look at 2016’s Galaxy Be aware 7 for proof of what can go improper, as faulty batteries resulted in the phones catching hearth. Airways even banned the telephone from their planes.

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

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

This is perhaps the important purpose why Samsung typically doesn’t offer big upgrades for its phones. Newer components merely value greater than older components, so Samsung possible sticks with older, cheaper elements purely as a result of it nonetheless must make a wholesome revenue. That’s not a shock, as the firm is a enterprise in spite of everything.

Nonetheless, it’s exhausting to argue that Samsung hasn’t taken profit-chasing to new extremes in the previous few years. For instance, rival producers offer flagship phones with 3x 50MP periscope cameras, however the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus stick to an ageing 3x 10MP digicam.

This give attention to 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 possible for product differentiation functions, as persons 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 phones, ostensibly so customers must pay just a little further for the Galaxy S fashions.

Business watchers like leaker Ice Universe lay the blame at the ft of cellular chief TM Roh. That is comprehensible, as Samsung’s Galaxy S phones began to stagnate after he assumed the place. Nonetheless, Roh’s tenure additionally coincided with Covid, whereas the trade has additionally endured element worth will increase in the previous few years. However no matter the underlying trigger, revenue issues are undoubtedly a big purpose why we don’t see main upgrades fairly often.

One understated purpose Samsung may not offer big upgrades for its phones 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. Gadgets like the P20 Professional and P20 Lite had been big sellers in the agency’s strongholds of Europe, the Center East, and Africa. Moreover, the firm 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 big upgrades sooner.

Samsung now not has stiff Android competitors in the US, both. Motorola, OnePlus, and TCL are the solely Chinese language producers in the nation, however the finest OnePlus phones aren’t accessible by way of carriers, TCL doesn’t offer really high-end phones, and Motorola isn’t a constant flagship participant in the area. So Samsung may assume it doesn’t have to spend cash on big upgrades when its largest market doesn’t have a lot alternative in the first place. It’s a far cry from the remainder of the world, the place OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, and different Chinese language phones are available.

Samsung isn’t only a telephone maker. It additionally makes many components that go into phones in the first place. This consists of processors, RAM, storage, the show, and digicam sensors.

Samsung is perhaps obligated to make use of internally sourced elements in lieu of components from different manufacturers. The corporate tends to make use of in-house shows for its high-end phones, relatively than probably cheaper or higher screens from Chinese language firm BOE. The agency additionally sticks with the similar ageing Samsung ISOCELL digicam sensors, regardless of the availability of extra superior sensors each in-house and by way of different suppliers.

One outstanding instance of those inside obligations is the in-house Exynos processors, that are apparently cheaper than comparable Snapdragon chips however typically much less highly effective. The agency routinely launches Exynos variants of phones in some markets (e.g. EMEA) however doesn’t offer the Snapdragon model in these territories, depriving these clients of the finest efficiency. What’s notably troubling about 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 offer Samsung Foundry some work nearly actually leads to inferior efficiency and battery life at instances.

There are evidently many potential reasons why Samsung doesn’t offer big upgrades fairly often on its high-end smartphones. This doesn’t appear to be hurting the firm, although, as the Galaxy S24 and S25 phones each delivered implausible 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 phones. Over 55% of our polled readers thought the firm was enjoying it too secure, whereas simply ~13% stated it was nonetheless churning out nice flagship phones. So whereas basic shoppers is perhaps shopping for these phones in droves, it is perhaps a matter of time till they smart as much as the lack of upgrades. This complacency actually opens the door for one other main Android model to steal a few of the agency’s market share, however who will or not it’s?