What if Samsung copied Apple and transformed the Galaxy S Plus into a mini Ultra?

It's fashionable to say Samsung and Apple are becoming alike whenever they do anything remotely similar. And to be fair, sometimes it's impossible to avoid drawing parallels between the two tech giants. They seem to need one another to keep the spirit of competition alive, but they also inspire one another.

Even so, Samsung's and Apple's premium smartphone lineups are more different than they are alike. And prompted by rumors of the Galaxy S Plus' demise, I've been wondering what Samsung's Galaxy S lineup would look like if it actually tried to emulate Apple more accurately. If Samsung actually looked even closer at Apple for inspiration.

More importantly, since I've used the Galaxy S Plus above any other device for years, I've been wondering: How would the Plus variant change in the process if Samsung copied Apple?

When the rumors about the Plus' demise were ramping up earlier this year, I said that Samsung should at least try to revamp the Plus before deciding whether or not it's worth shelving forever. And the more I think about it, the more I wonder if Apple holds the key to a better Galaxy S strategy.

In 2025, the key difference between Apple's iPhone lineup and Samsung's Galaxy S series is that Apple's best hardware and features aren't exclusive to the most expensive iPhone variant.

Unfortunately for us Samsung fans, the company keeps the best features and hardware limited to the Galaxy S Ultra. In that sense, the Galaxy S Plus isn't really all that special. It's essentially a base model with a larger screen. But it could be a lot better.

Apple, on the other hand, offers a base iPhone 17 model with a 6.3-inch screen, the top-tier 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone 17 Pro, which is another 6.3-inch phone. How does it differ from the base iPhone 17? Well, it's a carbon copy of the top-tier Pro Max, except it's smaller.

This means the iPhone 17 Pro, which is analogous to Samsung's Plus model, offers the same design and features as the best iPhone on the market. The same camera setup, too, which is something Samsung doesn't do.

Samsung keeps its best camera exclusive to the Ultra model. There's no other option but the Ultra if you want the best camera.

How interesting would it be if Samsung transformed the Plus into a true iPhone Pro equivalent? I wonder if the Galaxy S Plus would be better off as a smaller version of the Ultra rather than a larger version of the base model.

Imagine, instead of the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25+, Samsung gave us a 6.2-inch mini version of the Ultra, boasting the same titanium build, anti-reflective screen, and camera setup.

Even if it had to ditch the S Pen due to size limitations, and even if it had to go on sale for a slightly higher price — the iPhone 17 Pro is $100 pricier than the Galaxy S25+ — I still can't help but wonder if such a device would be better received by Samsung fans than the S Plus.

It may sound like I'm encouraging Samsung to get more inspiration from Apple and ape its lineup, and I understand why that's a concerning thought, generally speaking. Nevertheless, maybe this is one of those times when it could be for the better.

Apple tried to copy Samsung's Plus formula and gave up. Maybe it's time for Samsung to copy Apple's formula, as far as the Plus-Pro models go, and see where that leads.