After 12 Years, I Finally Left Samsung

I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Motorola Razr fold, ending what has been a 12-year journey with Samsung.

Ironically, Samsung was also the company that brought me back to Android. My first Samsung device was the Galaxy S2 during my college time. I absolutely loved it and used it for a long time before moving to the iPhone 5S. At first, the iPhone felt premium and polished, but over time I found iOS too restrictive for my liking. The freedom and flexibility I had on Android was something I genuinely missed.

So I came back with the Galaxy S7. And after that, I stayed. S series, Ultra series even the Z series. Samsung became my default choice. Not because it was perfect, but because it represented something that Apple didn't: freedom, customization, experimentation and pushing hardware boundaries. I still remember getting the option to out SD card back was such a reliever after coming back from 5s. That's what made many of us Samsung fans in the first place.

But over the last few years, I've felt that something changed. Samsung's software is still excellent. One UI is probably the best Android skin in my opinion. The ecosystem is polished. The support is great.

But hardware-wise, it feels like the company has become increasingly conservative. and has become like apple (which they used to mock earlier in their ads)

As a customer, it became difficult to justify flagship prices when competitors were offering significantly larger batteries, faster charging, thinner foldables and more aggressive hardware innovation.

The biggest example for me is battery technology. We are in 2026, yet Samsung's flagship battery strategy feels largely unchanged. Ultras are still stuck at 5000 mah. Meanwhile, competitors are pushing 6000 - 7000 mAh batteries and 100W+ charging at half the price.

I know Samsung prioritizes safety, reliability, and long-term support and those things matter. But innovation matters too.

What finally pushed me over the edge wasn't that Samsung became bad. It just became what I wanted to avoid and chose Samsung for.

It was also that I realized I was staying partly because of the ecosystem and habit. And that's not a good enough reason for me to spend flagship money.

So for the first time in over a decade, I'm stepping outside the Samsung ecosystem. Maybe I'll love it. Maybe I'll come back in a few years.

But I think it's healthy to occasionally challenge brand loyalty and choose products based on what serves your needs today rather than what served them in the past.

The phone hasn't arrived yet, but after 12 years with Samsung, this definitely feels like the end of an era.

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