[Android 0]

When the latest leaks and rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra dropped earlier this week, they created a bit of a furor in the Android Authority newsroom, and for good reason. Early renders show a wide horizontal camera bar stretching across the back of the phone. It replaces the individual floating lenses Samsung has used for years for a striking change that also looks suspiciously similar to a certain Pro-themed smartphone from Cupertino.

For years, we’ve given Samsung a hard time for playing it safe with iterative designs. Now, I’m not saying that critiquing Samsung’s repetitive takes on the same design ID wasn’t well deserved. However, now that the company is trying out something different, I can’t really say it’s for the better. The problem is not that Samsung changed its design language. It is that the change feels less like a bold step forward and more like Samsung wholeheartedly adopting Apple’s roadmap as its own.