It’s a tale as old as the modern smartphone. Apple introduces a feature or, more often, removes one that seems strange and user-hostile. The internet explodes. Competitors like Samsung and Google release slick commercials and smug social media posts mocking the decision.
Then, a year or two later, the mockery quietly vanishes. The ads are deleted. And the new flagship Android phones? They have the exact same “flaw” they once ridiculed.
Let’s call it the Mock-and-Adopt Cycle. It happens every time, and here are the most famous examples.
1. The Disappearing Headphone Jack
- Apple’s Move: In 2016, Apple released the iPhone 7 without the standard 3.5mm headphone jack, pushing users towards its wireless AirPods or a clumsy dongle. They called the move “courageous.”
- The Mockery: The backlash was immense. Samsung had a field day, running ad campaigns for its Galaxy phones that highlighted the “dongle life” of iPhone users and proudly pointed to its own headphone jack. Google made a point of it too at the Pixel launch, saying the jack was “satisfyingly not new.”
- The Pivot: Fast forward to 2020. Samsung launched the Galaxy S20, and the headphone jack was gone. Google had already ditched it two years earlier with the Pixel 2. The reason? The same one Apple gave: it freed up internal space for a bigger battery and other components.
2. The “Free” Charger in the Box
- Apple’s Move: With the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple announced it would no longer include a charging brick in the box, citing massive environmental benefits from smaller packaging and reduced e-waste.
- The Mockery: This was low-hanging fruit for competitors. Samsung and Xiaomi immediately posted on social media, reminding everyone that their phones do come with a charger. Samsung’s post read, “Your Galaxy does give you what you are looking for. From the most basic as a charger…”
- The Pivot: Just a few months later, the post was deleted. Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 series in early 2021, and sure enough, the charging brick was sold separately. Their reasoning was, you guessed it, to protect the environment.
3. The Infamous Notch
- Apple’s Move: The iPhone X in 2017 introduced a cutout at the top of the display, “the notch,” to house the advanced cameras and sensors for Face ID.
- The Mockery: Competitors clowned on the notch relentlessly. Samsung released a series of “Ingenius” ads showing a family with notch-shaped haircuts, mocking how it cuts into the screen. Google, ironically, mocked it before releasing the Pixel 3 XL with one of the biggest, deepest notches ever seen on a phone.
- The Pivot: While many Android brands never adopted a notch as wide as Apple’s (because they didn’t replicate the complex Face ID tech), nearly every single one adopted some form of display cutout. The notch became the precursor to the hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts that are now standard on almost every phone, including Samsung’s.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
This isn’t just hypocrisy for the sake of it. There are strategic reasons behind the cycle.
Apple Takes the Heat
Apple has some of the most loyal customers in the world. They can make an unpopular decision and weather the initial storm of criticism. Other brands watch closely. If iPhone sales don’t collapse, it proves the market is ready to accept the change. Apple effectively serves as a free, large-scale market test.
Marketing is Easy
It’s simple and effective marketing to point out a rival’s unpopular feature. It scores easy points with consumers on the fence. The goal is to win sales today, even if your product roadmap for next year includes the very same change.
The Supply Chain Follows Apple
When Apple orders hundreds of millions of components or pushes for a new manufacturing standard (like removing a port), the entire global supply chain shifts. It becomes easier and cheaper for other companies to make the same decision later on because the infrastructure is already in place.
The Lesson Ahead of iPhone 17
So the next time Apple announces a new path or feature at the iPhone 17 launch and you see rivals rushing to make fun of it, remember the cycle. By 2027, the same feature will probably be standard across Samsung, Google, and every other Android flagship.
Because in smartphones, there’s one rule: first they mock Apple, then they copy Apple.
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