Product Design 101: Its very difficult to build a design that achieves instant brand recognition. This can happen with logos, products, urban design (see: US cities) and signage. Familiarity becomes a reason for people to keep buying a product, where significant change invites backlash. There is a reason Porsche let you listen to a soundbite of the engine noise when browsing their
model 911 webpage and people baulked at
Jaguar's tone-deaf rebrand last year.
The iPhone design slots into this category. It is not 'lazy design'; it has been conditioned that way
on purpose. Indeed the image most people have of a generic smartphone is that of an iPhone. Other brands, notably
Samsung and
Google have actually removed their own brand character of late to align them closer to the aesthetics of the iPhone. This is not outright plagiarism but a calculated marketing move on their part. The reason EVs stick to the familiar car paradigm is to give customers an inviting, familiar aesthetic. Expect the iPhone 25 to, bar the odd nip and tuck largely resemble existing models.
The fast pace of the tech sector had created a user expectation that things should constantly change but the commoditisation of smartphones has meant that have, much like cars and laptops become an archetype. You can make them bend and twist all you like but a folding spoon is still a spoon.
