Dear Samsung!

In this video, Marques Brownlee turns his attention to Samsung in the wake of the Galaxy S8 launch, framing his critique as a direct follow-up to his earlier Dear Apple video. He argues that Samsung should avoid duplicating Google’s software efforts, noting that Samsung already ships Google’s Android services and APIs but often adds its own layer of apps and features on top. The centerpiece critique centers on Bixby, Samsung’s new intelligent assistant with its own side button, which Brownlee argues is largely a copy of Google Assistant with a few unique twists. He highlights the practical friction this creates, such as the desire to remap the Bixby button to Google Assistant or any other app, rather than being forced into Samsung’s ecosystem. The video also touches on hardware considerations, praising the Galaxy S8's design, display, and camera while criticizing the proposed first-party accessories and case options as underwhelming or poorly designed. Brownlee concludes by calling for better integration between Samsung hardware and software, suggesting real opportunities to improve user customization and resilience to accidental damage through smarter, more thoughtful accessory design. Overall, the video blends hardware praise with a frank software critique, arguing for more flexible user control and less redundant feature duplication in Samsung’s future devices.

Topics · technology · consumer_electronics · smartphones · artificial_intelligence · product_reviews