We love Samsung, but we are living in an Apple world

As the founder of a Samsung fansite, just writing that title gives me a headache — imagine being Samsung CEO TM Roh. During and around the 2026 Met Gala, something became even clearer to me: Samsung has a massive problem.

Every person photographing a celebrity on that red carpet seemed to be using an iPhone. As my colleague has already pointed out, Samsung is struggling to connect with Gen Z. But why, especially when Samsung is the company supplying Apple with displays, memory, and sensors?

There are mainly two reasons, at least in my view.

First, Samsung MX has pulled back on its marketing against Apple. Whether that's down to partnerships or simply a softer tone is up for debate, but let's be honest: did Samsung really go after Apple with Galaxy AI? We didn't see clear head-to-head comparisons from Samsung itself, like showing how powerful the Galaxy AI object eraser is compared to Apple's. Its customers did that instead.

Second, the market has peaked. Both Samsung and Apple are selling in huge numbers, but neither company's smartphones feel exciting anymore. Why? Because we only rely on a handful of apps, and the camera is already good enough. What people want is the latest device, but for a specific reason: to belong to a certain group.

And that's exactly Samsung's problem. Gen Z doesn't want to be part of the Samsung group. Their favorite influencers are all on iPhones, so why would they switch to a Galaxy? This is the reality TM Roh has to face. He's doing well in many ways — optimizing hardware across the lineup, bringing One UI to every device — but he hasn't found a way to win over Gen Z.

So if that's the core problem, is optimization still the answer? Maybe not. Maybe Roh needs to push innovation in a different direction entirely. Lean into culture and influencers. Not globally, but locally.

Think about different form factors, like RGB LEDs on the side of a phone, so you can match it to your outfit. Bring back smaller devices. Whatever it is, Samsung needs to get closer to how Gen Z thinks if it wants Gen Z's attention.

Roh's obsession with optimization has to stop, or at least stop getting in the way. Optimization isn't bad. But it shouldn't block innovation, and it clearly isn't what's going to win over a generation.

Samsung, if publicly going after your partners is no longer the approach you want to take, then find a better way to tell your story. Explain who Samsung is, what it actually does, and show the world your innovation, even when that innovation ends up powering your biggest competitor.