Samsung Galaxy design might ditch its ‘core identity’ for a Pixel camera bar – it needs to

New evidence suggests that Samsung is possibly, maybe, potentially looking to move away from the vertical camera design on Galaxy phones that it recently called its “core identity” for something closer to a Pixel camera bar, and I seriously hope it happens.

Samsung’s vertical camera design for Galaxy phones is a well-known staple of the company’s lineup. Everything from a $2,000+ foldable flagship to a $100 entry-level device has that same design language. And while, personally, I can’t help but feel it’s perhaps the most generic-looking design for a phone, there’s certainly something to be said about Samsung’s consistency here, as well as the charm that comes from the company’s overall fit and finish.

But change is on the horizon – maybe.

The folks over at SammyGuru noticed patent filings from Samsung that depict a foldable with a new horizontal camera layout. The closest comparison here is to Google Pixel, though Samsung technically did have this basic design language back on the Galaxy S10 series before entirely abandoning it.

Patent filings are something we don’t typically cover here on 9to5Google, largely because there are so many unknowns around them. When design ideas show up here, we could see them come to light in six months, six years, or never at all.

In this particular case, it’s hard to say this is for the Galaxy S27 given the fact the images depict a foldable, but we simply do not know, especially given the wider context of the patents were not shared.

That said, please make it happen Samsung.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it’s Samsung’s design that holds Galaxy phones back from embracing the Qi2 standard, which is more important than some fans are willing to give it credit for. The entire wireless charging market is going all-in on this standard and, in turn, making it a whole lot harder for owners of Samsung’s phones to get in on the fun. That’s both in terms of being able to use these accessories without a case, but also just to be able to use things like magnetic wallets or power banks without covering up a camera lens.

Samsung literally has to make dedicated accessories to solve this problem. I picked up Samsung’s ridiculous little magnetic battery bank alongside my Galaxy Z Fold 8 – a freebie is a freebie – and I can’t help but laugh at how stupid it is that this thing has to exist – and it still covers up part of a camera lens!

If you’re tired of hearing me rant about Qi2 and Samsung’s vertical cameras, so am I! That’s why I’m really hoping there’s a shred of hope in these patents, but I’m not going to get overly excited. As mentioned, there’s nothing here that implies Samsung is making a change in the immediate future. If anything, it sounds like Samsung won’t make this change next year – don’t let headlines make you think otherwise, at least not until we get something more concrete than patents.

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Samsung Galaxy design might ditch its ‘core identity’ for a Pixel camera bar – it needs to

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