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Samsung Could Kill Its Plus Model, Just Like Apple

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Samsung may mirror Apple's iPhone 17 lineup model positioning by eliminating its own "plus" model next year, according to rumors coming out of Asia.

galaxy-s25-edge-colors.jpg
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.​

This year, Apple is expected to remove the "Plus" model from the latest iPhone lineup due to low sales, replacing it with an all-new, super-thin "Air" model. As a result, the lineup will move from the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max to the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.

Currently, Samsung's rival lineup consists of the Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Edge, and S25 Ultra. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," Samsung could next year replace its plus model with the super-thin Edge, just like Apple. The new lineup would be formed of the Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra.

Both the S25+ and S25 Edge share a 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 8 chip, 50-megapixel main camera, and more; there is significant overlap between the devices. Key differences include the Galaxy Edge's move to titanium instead of aluminum, its lack of a telephoto camera, and its ultra-thin design.

Earlier this year, Samsung beat Apple in launching a super-thin smartphone; the S25 Edge is just 5.8mm thick. Apple's iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner at 5.5mm. It is expected to launch alongside the other iPhone 17 models in the fall.

Article Link: Samsung Could Kill Its Plus Model, Just Like Apple
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/14/samsung-could-kill-its-plus-model-like-apple/
So long as Exynos is worse than Snapdragon, it does not matter what models Samsung has. The only time Exynos was acceptable was in 2015 when Samsung S6 series and Note 5 were released.
 
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regarding Samsung, they need to stop positioning 3 cameras vertically. If they want to be unique and do one vertical and one horizontal so it's like a triangle of lenses that's fine. But the 3 vertical lenses is not good for the world of magsafe accessories like magsafe wallets and magsafe battery packs etc...the third lens down is so far down that it can get covered by magsafe accessories. So please stop with that.

Another thing. A software matter. Regarding Android multiple users. Please enable this functionality. It's a part of stock Android and gives users the ability to better control our digital footprint and segregate our data/apps as we see fit. The secure folder is fine. But that's more like a Samsung version of stock Android private space. Which is also a handy thing to have. But multiple users (which on a phone is essentially multiple personal spaces) is more important and comprehensive when it comes to privacy / security / data segregation etc. I wish even apple would enable this functionality for its iPhone users, as I believe apple could certainly innovate in this area. Maybe add a bit of OS / software agency to the feature to help users better manage the functionality of managing a few personal separate spaces more efficiently and productively, with regards to the topic of digital wellbeing/screen time etc...
 
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Samsung once had distinctive designs, now they look same as other android smartphones, same as the ones as cheap as 200€. What is the point of buying a flagship if it doesn’t stand out? S23? Boring. S24? Boring. S25? Also boring. S26? Probably would be similarly boring
 
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I hope the Air doesn’t turn into the Mac Cube of the iPhone world (ie: identical specs to a chunkier model, but 50% more expensive). We wait to see…
 
And yet people try to say the mini wasn’t wanted. People want bigger devices. When in reality it was how it fit in the lineup.
 
The Samesung playbook:
1. Make advertisements (rightfully) criticizing stupid Apple design choices (e.g. eliminating the headphone jack and including a notch).
2. Copy those same stupid Apple design choices (e.g. eliminating the headphone jack and including a notch).
 
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The Mini/Plus don't work, because the people that would want these other sizes also want all the features of the top of the line model.
 
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abatabia said:
Does Samsung come up with any original ideas? Don’t answer that. I’m no Apple sheep but come on. Oh, right. Foldables.
Click to expand...
Lol, what? Seriously? Replacing one product with another is now "copying Apple"? So Samsung has been copying Apple in that regard since *checks notes* 2009?

People can't possibly be this delusional in how product decisions are made. The idea that the S25 Edge would replace the S25+ was part of the initial rumor of that device. This was a decision on the table years ago, and the Edge's positioning in the line-up - both in regards to specs and price - make pretty clear what Samsung's intent was from the start.
 
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Even Dell started the useless naming convention of “plus” and “pro”. Adding the nomenclature of “ultra” and “max” which inherently means nothing compared to all the other names makes me think the marketing teams of these multi-billion dollar companies get paid far too much for their ideas.
 
jclardy said:
The Mini/Plus don't work, because the people that would want these other sizes also want all the features of the top of the line model.
Click to expand...
That's how is should be: the same features in two or three different sizes, not this frustrating feature matrix nonsense that you need a spreadsheet to figure out. Just make a great product in a few sizes.
 
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The headline says Samsung could, but that doesn't mean they will. Some sales numbers for the various Samsung phones mentioned might help to make a case for or against them killing off the Plus.
 
At the rate this is going I may be back to a “feature phone” at some point.

I just need a way to communicate that isn’t the size of a patio paver.

If everyone wasn’t trying to ensure you keep mindlessly and endlessly using these addiction slot machines in your pocket, it seems like we could have more form factor options here.
 
Isengardtom said:
they copy each other - Samsung copies on hardware and Apple on Software
Click to expand...
I would make the arguement that every smartphone of the last 18 years is derivitive of the LG Prada which the more cultish user might assume is just a ripoff of the original iPhone but in fact won an iF Design Award in September 2006, a good 5 months before Apple revealed the iPhone.

This is entirely conjecture of course but the fact that the LG Prada (Sept 06), iPhone (Jan 07) and Samsung S700 (Feb 07) were developed siloed from each other it is likely that the portrait touchscreen was always going to become the de facto standard for phone design with or without Apple's input.

The phone industry has been copying each other since the 1980s.
 
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