Joe Maring / Android Authority
It’s no secret that over the last few years, we’ve seen much more incremental yearly updates from smartphone makers, with fewer major changes to the formula. This is especially true for Samsung, which has been doing less each generation to set its devices apart. It is rumored that the situation will get even worse, as the Galaxy S26 is expected to be virtually identical to its predecessor, beyond a minor processor upgrade and a few other small refinements.
I get the urge to feel like manufacturers are phoning it in (pun semi-intended), and that a change is needed. Still, I’m starting to realize it might be hardcore fans, and people like me, who need to change their perspective.
Are more incremental yearly phone updates inevitable as the market matures? 20 votes Yes, and I don't even mind it. 30 % Yes, but it still annoys me. 30 % No, they could still do more and make a profit. 40 % Unsure / Other 0 %
The smartphone market has matured, and the result is admittedly boring
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
While the frustration is understandable from a tech enthusiast’s perspective, much of this appears to be a natural outcome of market maturity. In the early days, the leap from one generation to the next was immediately noticeable. Improvements spanned processors, RAM standards, storage, cameras, batteries, and nearly every other component. I remember my Nexus 5 feeling like a genuinely substantial upgrade from my Nexus 4. A great deal has changed since 2013, and with each successive release, the perceived impact of upgrading has diminished.
As smartphones grew larger and settled into more uniform designs, there was simply less room for dramatic generational change. Processor advancements continued, but real-world performance differences between a new phone and a two or three-year-old model became increasingly subtle. Over time, attention shifted toward battery life, camera performance, and charging speeds, while major hardware leaps became less frequent. Software, followed later by AI, gradually took on a more prominent role in driving upgrades.
Many of us miss the days when yearly smartphone upgrades were more likely to bring big changes, but the market is moving on.
This brings us to the current landscape. Innovation has not disappeared in 2026. A wide range of unconventional devices still reach the market, though many are not targeted at the United States.
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