I’m glad Samsung is killing the Note design, even if fans hate it

Before I picked up a Galaxy S24 back in 2024, I also strongly considered the Galaxy S24 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The problem with the Galaxy S24 Plus was that it didn’t feel like a sufficient enough upgrade to justify the extra cost. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra did offer plenty of extras, including a better camera, S-Pen features, a higher-resolution display, and a more durable design thanks to its titanium frame.

That said, I admit I’m not a big stylus guy on phones. I appreciate them for drawing and taking notes on tablets, but I simply don’t use my phone that way. Between the over-focus on niche productivity features and its boxy design, the Galaxy S24 Ultra felt less like a souped-up version of the Galaxy S flagship and more like “a Galaxy Note by another name”.

Starting with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, we’ve seen Samsung alter this perception a bit, ending the boxy design and distinct Ultra identity that they’ve stood by for years. Despite plenty of Samsung fans being angry about this change, I’m happy with it and feel this is a step in the right direction.

For hardcore Samsung Note fans, the Ultra was never just an S model. It was the continuation of one of Samsung’s most successful power user devices. Of course, there was a reason that Samsung retired the Note line in the first place. The features were too similar, except for a few Note-specific additions like S-Pen, and a component shortage supply in 2021 helped push the decision in this direction as well.

By integrating it into the Galaxy S family and releasing it in the same window, Samsung likely hoped to make the phone more appealing to new customers and not just existing Note loyalists. At the same time, Samsung understood it needed to keep existing Note users happy, and so it leaned heavily on the Note’s design language and feature set.

The thing is, some of its bleeding-edge features, like the S-Pen, were truly useful once. These features might still be important to some people, but the truth is that better touch screen quality, shortcut methods, new AI features, and other changes to both Android and One UI have made the S-Pen less critical.

As much as it makes sense to offer a higher-end Galaxy variant for power users, the truth is that the Note’s design is a relic of a bygone era. As a productivity-first device, the Note always had a bit of a serious, professional vibe. Outside of the foldable market at least, today’s consumers tend to gravitate more towards cohesion, and I’d argue they are less interested in a phone format that breaks conventional design elements.

The sharp corners and blocky design stand out as distinct, but the elements feel a bit aged and, for me, a little boring. It also makes the Galaxy S Ultra a confused product.

While the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus follow the same formula, introducing only a few distinct upgrades to set the Plus apart, the Galaxy S24 Ultra was not only much more expensive but also a very different product. It had a distinct body plan, an overfocus on S-Pen features, and a pre-existing user base that made the initial switch from Note to Ultra years ago.

I get that the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra design choices aren’t popular for existing Note and Ultra fans. Just remember, Samsung runs a business, not a club. It wouldn’t make new decisions and strategy changes if it were satisfied with the Ultra’s existing performance and positioning. The fact that the Galaxy S25 Ultra actually sold about 7% more than its predecessor makes it clear that most people care more about design consistency, ease of use, and digestible marketing than they do about whether the Ultra stands out visually from the rest of the Galaxy S series.

From a feature-focused perspective, the Galaxy S Ultra series has always had plenty of appeal. Its display is bigger and higher resolution, the titanium frame provides improved durability, and there’s a better camera package and potentially better battery life. That said, not everyone wants a completely different design language.

I suspect you’ll find more people who prefer consistency in design or don’t care at all than those who vehemently oppose changing the Ultra’s original design language. Those in the former groups just aren’t as vocal as those who hate the changes.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra now feel more like “big versions of the Galaxy S”, just with more bleeding-edge specs. As someone who preferred the base model design, I consider it an improvement.

While Samsung should respect and value its existing users, it is a business, and decisions like improving Galaxy S model cohesion or slowing down the gap between yearly refreshes don’t happen on a whim. Samsung has reviewed its costs, marketing strategy, and general market trends, and it obviously believes this direction is best for the company.