By cryptoadmin 
This yr, Samsung unified the design language of its S-series flagships, making the S25, S25+ and the S25 Extremely feel and appear the identical (barring the digital camera). The curving sides of the S24 Extremely are lastly gone, changed with the strong, squared-off traces seen on the cheaper Galaxy S handsets. Flatter sides make the machine simpler to grip, slide into your pocket, or prop up if you’re making an attempt to {photograph} them for a tech web site.
I’ll be sincere, they appear to be iPhones. And older Galaxy S telephones. And, properly, even older iPhones. Smartphones have hopped from flat to curves for so long as smartphones have existed.
With Samsung, we’ve gripped onto rounded sides from the debut of Galaxy S (2010) by to 2015. Then, the Galaxy S6 (2015) had extra flattened sides earlier than the collection returned to curves for the S8 (2017). It stayed that method till the more moderen S24, with latest years progressively hammering out these curves. The S25 collection, now, has flat sides for each mannequin.
Are flatter sides truly simpler to grip? I don’t know. I’m a hypocrite. I’ve discovered a number of evaluations and impressions items the place I like flat sides. I’ve discovered the identical variety of tales the place I liked curved gadgets. Why must you ever consider me once more? I’m certain there are tech journalists who’ve caught with one type issue being higher, however I couldn’t discover them.
Every time it occurs and the corporate explains its change, the designers say this lack of curves/ introduction of curves is best than no matter it was final yr. In an interview with Vainness Honest in 2024, Jony Ive stated that Apple selected rounded edges for the iPhone 6 collection as a result of they made bigger telephones really feel much less clunky. That was when the iPhone 6 Plus had a heady 5.5-inch display screen, which appears… quaint in 2025.
My idea is that our arms get used to no matter cellphone type issue we’ve used for the final couple of years. Which means when the design will get shaken up (otherwise you swap to a unique producer), one has to pay extra consideration to holding it. However that impact fades.
If the 2 most important, most influential cellphone makers have settled on flat sides, then there are causes for it. Till there’s a good larger purpose to return, as soon as once more, to curves.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cell/smartphones/curvy-sides-flat-edges-the-galaxy-s25-and-the-arbitrary-shape-of-smartphones-130047461.html?src=rss