Have your say: are modern smartphone designs boring, or better than ever?

The Google Pixel 9 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
(Image credit: Shutterstock (Karlis Dambrans) / Future / Shutterstock (Wongsakorn 2468))

News flash! Smartphone designs are becoming more homogeneous with every passing year. In 2021, the three biggest flagship phones – namely the iPhone 13 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Google Pixel 6 Pro – were recognizably different from one another, but in 2025, their respective successors look more alike than their manufacturers would care to admit.

Of course, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Google Pixel 9 Pro are far from identical devices – their camera arrangements, for one, are still relatively distinct – but they share several common (dare I say Apple-like) design themes that have left the flagship smartphone category feeling a little... samey.

Flat metal sides, gently rounded corners, and clean, industrial colorways are the new norm for today’s flagship smartphones, with practicality and understated style seemingly prioritized over "look at my new phone!" personality. Sure, you can still stand out from the crowd with one of the best foldable phones or best Android phones from China, but in the US, especially, it feels like your options for indulging in a bit of self-expression through your choice of smartphone have narrowed to virtually nil.

But is this such a bad thing? Call me a robot, but personally, I’m all for the steady slide towards a single, optimum phone design (and I’ll explain why in a follow-up article). But what about you? As more flagship phones hit shelves in 2025, we want to gauge your opinions on the sticky subject of smartphone design.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The iPhone 16 Pro Max (left) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) (Image credit: Future)

So, do you think we’ve reached peak smartphone design? Or could manufacturers do more to differentiate their highest-end devices from one another? Are modern flagships simply too boring? Or are you a fan of their shared industrial aesthetic?

Check out the numbered response options below, and cast your vote in the comments section of this article. I’ll be running the same poll on the TechRadar Whatsapp channel – so vote there if you prefer! – and will be publishing a follow-up piece with the results in the coming days.

  • 1) Smartphone designs are better than ever; homogeneity is natural
  • 2) Modern smartphone designs are boring – I miss the variety!
  • 3) Modern smartphone designs are boring, but I understand the need for conformity
  • 4) There’s still enough variety in the smartphone industry

It goes without saying, but there are obviously more nuanced stances on this issue that aren’t easily summarized in poll format. For instance, you might like the modern design approach, but think there’s still room for further innovation. Alternatively, you might be nostalgic for the wacky smartphones of old (aren’t we all?), but recognize that these devices catered to a different market.

The four options above are meant to cover four broad sentiments (‘happy’, ‘not happy’, ‘not happy but I understand why’, and ‘disagree’), which will hopefully give us an idea of how consumers feel about the state of flagship smartphone design in 2025. If you're keen to voice a more specific point of view, by all means, comment below!

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Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.

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