Samsung is, according to multiple reports, taking some inspiration from Apple and the new iPhone 17 series. Additionally, in a recent image that shows Galaxy S26 dummy units, one of the color options shown is a very familiar shade of orange.
Is the Galaxy S26 going to feature a “cosmic” coincidence, or is this all a big misunderstanding? I’d like to take a look, starting with the confirmed inspired changes that are happening.
iPhone 17 inspiration for Galaxy S26?
First, there are definitely two changes that Samsung is introducing, which will remind you of the iPhone 17 lineup.
The first, and not so egregious, is the chassis redesign. According to multiple leaks, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has rounder edges, even more so than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This is a very subjective redesign, with some of you being in favor of what the phone is shaping up to be, and some of you disappointed with Samsung’s changes. I, personally, am not a fan.
Second, the Galaxy S26 Edge features a very familiar rear camera module: it looks very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro. This might be a more contentious change, though I think that the Edge looks better than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy S26 Pro.
None of these two redesigns are enough to accuse Samsung of copying Apple, but what about that orange Galaxy S26 Ultra dummy unit?
The orange Galaxy S26 Ultra is fake
If you were actually looking forward to that shade for the S26 Ultra, I’m afraid it’s a fake. The image originally showed up on the X (formerly Twitter) page of a very famous industry insider, but they also have another account on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
On their Weibo page, Ice Universe explained that the image was fake, and that someone had edited it to make it seem like the S26 Ultra had a Cosmic Orange shade as well. From the very smooth finishing, I’d wager that AI was used.
But, if you wanted an orange Galaxy S26 Ultra, you’ll still be getting one. According to the report, there is an orange shade coming to Samsung’s flagship next year. It might not look like Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro, but it might be similar to the orange found on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, or even the red shade for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Is Samsung copying Apple?
All of this brings us to the elephant in the room begging to be addressed: is Samsung copying Apple? In my honest opinion, no.Yes, Samsung has been accused of copying Apple’s product design in the past, as well as some questionable decisions made by the latter: like removing chargers from the box. But rounder edges, a larger rear camera module, and a shade of orange are hardly unique changes.
The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t the first phone with a camera island that looks like this, but it’s a design change that was needed to make the photography better on these phones. Samsung’s decision to introduce a similar design for the S26 Edge has a lot more to do with rearranging the internals to achieve maximum slimness than just copying its competitor.
The rounder edges, meanwhile, are just part of Samsung’s new approach to its phones. For example, the company gave up the boxy look of its Ultra phones with the S25 Ultra, and many users are glad that it did because the phone is more comfortable to hold. Further rounded edges, while not my cup of tea, are simply taking that new approach to design further.
As for introducing a new shade of orange after Apple did so? Let’s put it this way: phone manufacturers don’t always have to differentiate their products as much as possible from the competition. Design trends come and go, and it seems like orange is the new popular shade.
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