You might not know that a large portion of the software that runs inside of an Android phone was written by Google. In fact, the Android software comes fully functional from Google and the Android community. All of the phones sold by Google — starting with the Nexus One all the way through to the newest Nexus 6 — run this fully functional version of Android with no other modifications.

However, the main handset makers, like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola customize the Android software before they put it on that flashy new handset you can’t wait to buy. They do this, primarily, to make their product standout from the competition. But does it work?

Take the Samsung Galaxy S5, for instance. It comes with more features than standard Android. Features like MultiWindow, SmartPause, Download Booster, SmartStay, One Handed Mode, and Ultimate Power Saver, to name a few. And, in advertising, these features seem pretty decent. But Samsung is either not very good at software, not very good at hardware, or both. Because, in reality, these “features” are more annoying than they are useful. Ultimately, I end up turning off every feature that I can, and I find myself wishing I could turn off the ones that I can’t.

And Samsung isn’t alone in this. All of the major handset manufacturers alter Android in some way, adding features and, along with it, development time to create those features.

So what would happen if Samsung just stopped? What if they left the software to the fine folks at Google, and concentrated on what should really set them apart from the crowd: the hardware? Samsung spends countless programming hours customizing the Android software, and testing, and fixing bugs. And when a new version of Android comes out, they often customize it again to be installed as an update on old handsets. What if they pumped all of this into hardware?

Samsung has, arguably, one of the best cameras in the Android landscape. But, in my opinion, it could still be better. Battery life could be better. The phone could be thinner. It could come with built-in wireless charging. It could have better speakers. It could come with more storage space. How about an e-Ink display? With the money saved on software development being funneled into hardware, Samsung could offer a truly better phone for the same price point.

But, if software is their game, there are far better ways to tackle it. Instead of spending time modifying what Google and the Android community have already smoothed into near perfection, why not make software that augments the experience and make it only available on Samsung handsets?

There are lots of important pieces of the software puzzle that don’t come with Android. Like backup. And virus scanning. And wireless photo sync with my laptop. And diet tracking. And games. There are also apps that come from Google that aren’t as good as they could be. For instance, the Google Calendar works okay, but I much prefer Sunrise. Google Keep is decent, but I like Evernote a lot more. Samsung could take the money spent on altering Android itself, and put it into application development meant to sit along side the standard Android and make it better.

In the end, Samsung would have their own App Ecosystem. Amazon has had some success here. They’ve made their own App Store and their own Hardware. They have, of course, also customized Android. While their “Fire Phone” didn’t really take off, they have done quite well in the Android Tablet market. And their AppStore is pretty decent. So much so, that a lot of users install it along side the usual Google Play Store on non-Amazon devices, even if it’s just to get the free apps.

With the hardware option, Samsung would be setting themselves apart from their competitors at HTC, LG, and Motorola. Most consumers would look at phone specs, side-by-side and realize right away that the Samsung was the better deal. The day might come where “Samsung” was synonymous with “Android”.

With the software option, Samsung would be setting themselves up to be a software company as well. And Samsung handsets would be coveted, not just because of the Android software, but because of the bundles of extra software that isn’t available on any other brand of handset.

Either of these paths would make their handset better than it is today. The software option, at the very least, would leave me with better Android software, less bloatware, and make it quicker to release new versions. The hardware option would give me those same things, and better specs too. And, if they are the software company they think they are, the software option would also leave me with an array of new Applications exclusive to Samsung customers. But, if I didn’t like them, I could just not use them.