Longstanding Samsung fans will remember a time when you could look at a Galaxy phone and immediately know that Samsung had made it. This may sound like an odd thing to say about a company that has never really been shy about branding. Earlier devices used to carry multiple Samsung and Galaxy logs across the front and back, but this is not just about prominently splashing your brand.There was a time when Samsung seemed perfectly comfortable trying things that other phone makers wouldn't touch. Some of those ideas were brilliant while some were a bit out there. A few were both at the same time, and in all honesty, that was part of the appeal.Samsung was never afraid to get weirdIt felt like Samsung phones had personality. I don't quite feel they do anymore, at least not to that extent. There's no denying that the modern Galaxy phones are polished, perhaps to an absurd degree. Samsung has locked in the core formula of what makes a good device and now it's a matter of rinse and repeat. From a purely rational perspective, there is very little to complain about.And yet, I miss the days when a new Galaxy phone could make you wonder what on earth Samsung was thinking. We don't have to look too far back. It introduced curved-edge displays even when nobody had asked for them. It experimented with everything from iris scanners to motorized cameras, gesture controls, and more. Samsung Galaxy Note 10's curved Edge display | Source: Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile The foldables were perhaps the best representation of this ethos. It bet heavily on foldables and that helped the company become a market leader in a segment where very few have been able to challenge it. Some of its earlier experiments, though, didn't last, and that's fine. In fact, that's the point.There's no blueprint for innovation. It's only achieved when you try different things, discover what people do and don't like, and you throw away what doesn't work until you find something that customers love. Samsung used to understand that better than most, yet today, it feels a bit too cautious. Samsung Galaxy A80 with a pop-up/rotating camera | Source: Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile Experimentation was part of the processThe Galaxy S series has become an incredibly predictable product. You know roughly what you're getting every year. There will be a better processor, improved cameras, a brighter display, some new AI features and a handful of design refinements. The Ultra will have almost everything Samsung can fit into it. The smaller models will sit underneath it and the overall formula will remain familiar.There's an argument to be made for predictable consistency that can generate millions of sales every year, but predictability is not the same as reliability. Samsung has the engineering prowess to think outside the box while ensuring that the devices remain reliable and durable.Samsung does still embark on experiments. The new passport-style Galaxy Z Fold 8 is proof of that. But even its most ambitious products are gradually marching toward the familiar Samsung aesthetic of refinement and incremental improvement. Just look at this year's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 8. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Source: Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile Predictability has taken overThe hardware differences between different devices are practically non-existent. Most high-end phones have premium displays, high-end chipsets, exceptional cameras, and powerful AI features. Some even offer bigger batteries and faster charging than Samsung. At some point, someone needs to give customers a reason to care beyond the spec sheet.Samsung should lean into this opportunity and return to what made Galaxy interesting in the first place. Give the engineers and designers room to make something weird again. Let's see what they come up with once unshackled from the burdens of iterative optimization.It has the unique advantage of being among the very few who can afford to have an experiment failed. Not every product has to become a billion-dollar lineup. It can bring some products to test an idea, create a new idea, or simply to remind people that Samsung still has the ability to think outside the box.The company became one of the biggest names in consumer technology by taking risks when it didn't have to. It would be a shame if, after finally reaching the top, it decided the safest thing to do was simply stay there. Latest Samsung deals Samsung Shop