Lee brings more than two decades of experience in design and leadership to Samsung. He served Mercedes in multiple design-related leadership roles across the US and China. Lee worked as a Creative Manager and Head Designer of the automaker giant’s Advanced Design Division. Most recently, he was the Chief Design Officer of the company’s Chinese unit. During his time at Mercedes, Lee led many design projects and received multiple awards. Samsung has now entrusted Lee with overseeing the design development of its Galaxy products. The company’s MX division encompasses all its mobile products, including smartphones, tablets, watches, and more. The Korean behemoth hopes Lee’s “unique and visionary perspective” will help shape the look and feel of its Galaxy S series flagships, Z series foldables, Galaxy Tab lines, Galaxy Watches, and other products under the Galaxy umbrella. “Samsung is known for building some of the world’s most beautiful products with designs that have transformed the mobile industry. I am excited to join a company that is on the bleeding edge of mobile innovation and lead the team responsible for creating new mobile experiences through the art of design,” Lee said in an official press release from Samsung announcing his appointment.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy S23 series with no design change
Unfortunately, Lee is arriving at Samsung a little too late to have a say on the Galaxy S23 design. The company is all set to launch the new flagships with pretty much the same design as the Galaxy s22 in about a month. The only difference is that the contour-cut camera island on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ doesn’t exist on their successors. It’s otherwise the same shape, size, and look as the current lineup. All three Galaxy S23 models have their rear cameras individually popping out of the back panel. It’s not to say this is a bad design. But it lacks a flagship identity. Samsung also sells some entry-level smartphones with the same design. Time will tell whether Lee’s arrival will see Galaxy flagships getting their own design identity in the coming years. For now, the focus remains on the Galaxy S23 series. The new Samsung flagships will reportedly break cover on February 1, 2023.
