Best and worst smartphone trends of 2018

28 December 2018
Another year has passed and a whole bunch of devices has gone through our office. We have completed more than 80 smartphone reviews in 2018 and what an exciting year in tech it was!

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  • 7sy
  • 29 Dec 2018

AnonD-558092, 29 Dec 2018It never will. Wireless has NEVER superseded wired solution... moreMaybe you should stick to using home line and LAN cable for connectivity. Mobile phone is not suitable for you.

    I just wish that manufacturers would give the phone basic phone functions and let us be the ones who personalize the phone by putting the applications that we want and there for saving and creating more space within the device it self.

      AnonD-558092, 29 Dec 2018It never will. Wireless has NEVER superseded wired solution... moreOf course wired would still far superior than wireless one, i just mean sometimes in future it has bigger bandwidth that really fits for most lossless, say 1000-2000kbps FLAC quality.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • PA7
        • 29 Dec 2018

        Sony was so late to cactch brand royal, lately so much improvement (fastest update, better screen), battery is good at endurance and survive longer than note and iphone.
        Motorola is missing flagship because lenovo inconsistencies.

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          • AnonD-558092
          • 45}
          • 29 Dec 2018

          Avicenna., 28 Dec 2018By the time, maybe wireless headphones have been improved d... moreIt never will. Wireless has NEVER superseded wired solutions. You transfer stuff over wired USBs. You connect online with Ethernet cables. Wireless is only good when latency, reliability and power usage isn't a concern.

            Moj, 28 Dec 2018I guess it is possible to hide teardrop notch but it is har... moreThese notches has the same height with the conventional one so hiding it is on the same way. Even if your vendor doesn't provide it, there's a lot of 3rd party apps over Play Store.

              Moj, 28 Dec 20181-"since logically people who could afford these phones wou... more1. For better wireless earbuds sales.
              4. That's why i said some have a great job to keep the sensor size big like Huawei P20 Pro (1/1.7" + 1/2.3" BW + 1/.4" Tele) and Xperia XZ2 Premium (Dual 1/2.3").
              6. Even it doesn't get newer OS, it's still great for more longlasting usage. I don't know the reason why people complained over oversized RAM but remains silent on 5 cameras and oversized phones (i see the lacking variances of small smartphones). Never underestimate Android's resources management, 4 GB RAM and Chrome giggles.
              7. For example, every "AI" phone camera advertisement usually only shows off its automatic scene recognition and hyperbeautification filter which is been here long before this buzzword exist.

                • Moj
                • auh
                • 28 Dec 2018

                Anonymous, 28 Dec 2018Am I the only one who hates teardrop notch ?? I feel that ... moreI guess it is possible to hide teardrop notch but it is harder to do!
                So you can get what you want, just need you, yourself to start it cause i see no manufactures want to do so! Seems they enjoy the teardrop!

                  • Moj
                  • auh
                  • 28 Dec 2018

                  Avicenna., 28 Dec 2018Personally, i would think some of these written good trends... more1-"since logically people who could afford these phones would likely could afford most wireless earbuds too"
                  It is NOT always about ability to offer but it is about what it would brought to us?
                  Let's face it, by removing 3.5 jack we didn't get any thing expect losing battery faster then before and low quality headphones and even worst than that useless dongles
                  Yes, i am well aware if you need HQ music you would go for an external DAC but there are times that you just need to grab a HQ headphone(in ear or on ear) and connect it to phone which by removing the 3.5 jack is ruined and those stupid dongles didn't help either

                  2- I do agree with you

                  3- This one the same as No.2

                  4- "Unfortunately, with the decreasing of the phone spaces, manufactures would likely tends to go for smaller sensor, which worsening the image quality."
                  Not exactly if they implement it as it should be!
                  What i mean is STH like "Light 16" but it was not that polished as it needed to be!

                  5- "Faster charging, faster battery life, and faster phone's age, convincing people to buy another one."
                  Well at least there are some ways around it like make the conversion inside the wall break instead of phone himself, also we really need some advancement in battery tech! :)

                  6- "It would be more longlasting, even with no official updates, it will receives a lot of unofficial newer OS ports on future."
                  If you think having more RAM means you would get more custom roms and newer android version, i should say you are wrong!
                  It mostly is the CPU/GPU (like the limitation in instruction set and lack of driver for newer OS) and hardware hall (HW HAL) that keeps a phone from getting newer android to be able to run on it. So ram has nothing to do about it!(well i can't Imagen you want to have latest android on a device with 256 MB ram that really hardly can boot it and i guess we are talking about bigger than 4 GB ram, aren't we?)
                  Also keep in mind having more RAM means you can do better in multitasking but there is little to no difference in normal usage of apps(excluding multi tasking part)

                  7- hence AI is not exactly "Auto" mode but i am kinda on your side it is not what they keep saying it is!

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                    • Anonymous
                    • StU
                    • 28 Dec 2018

                    How about the death of 16:9 screens and the resulting excessively tall, pocket-busting phones?

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                      • dddddd
                      • 3L@
                      • 28 Dec 2018

                      What about Motorola? Not even one word?

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                        • Melv
                        • 7Xe
                        • 28 Dec 2018

                        Huawei and Xiaomi are the biggest winners in this year, I think.

                        Huawei is rising to the top. But their prices is also rising, sadly. And I don't like their misleading ads.

                        Xiaomi is disrupting the market with their bang-for-buck phones, especially the Poco F1. What is even exciting is that a successor, the Poco F2, has already been spotted on Geekbench.

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                          • Anonymous
                          • LkD
                          • 28 Dec 2018

                          Avicenna., 28 Dec 2018Personally, i would think some of these written good trends... moreI'd like to have a single cam 1/1.3" 20MP.

                          The problem is that it is impossible to add variable fo length without messing up with design.

                          1/1.3" 20MP that could go f1.6 - f2.6 and 15 - 120mm would be killer..
                          Sadly it needs more than 1" thickness..

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                            • Anonymous
                            • Ng5
                            • 28 Dec 2018

                            Am I the only one who hates teardrop notch ??
                            I feel that it is as bad as regular notch (at least for the regular one we can hide it )
                            And bezels are not bad they contain mord sensors
                            I just prefer bezel over bezelless display It feels weird (and a little bit ugly )having a phone who contain only a display
                            Phones with bezel fell a lot more prestegious at least for me

                              Personally, i would think some of these written good trends as bad trends and vice versa.

                              1. 3.5 mm audio jack removal
                              One of the most trend that this forum readers really love to hate. As far as i know, this is actually only happens on highly priced high-mid tier and flagship phones, since logically people who could afford these phones would likely could afford most wireless earbuds too. Some uses dongles, but if you really cared for quality-loss that wireless buds and dongles offers, just go for USB powered external DACs.

                              2. Minimalized notches
                              As bezelless screens becomes smartphones standard these days, a notch quickly became a solution for providing space for front camera and some sensors. Personally, i still prefer Galaxy S9 and XPERIA XZ3 bezel designs, added with more sensors for bigger front dual speakers, Iris scanner and iPhone Face ID hardwares.

                              3. High-quality specs entraces the mid-tier phones
                              Actually, this trends appeared on mobile phones since Xiaomi arrived back then, but it keeps getting crazy and crazier, until Pocophone F1 arrives, a mid-tier phone completed with flagship-grade SoC in it. It quickly became huge trend on most tech-savvy people, especially on India and most Southeast Asian countries, even some people being like diehard fan and entitled this phone as "Best Flagship Phone" or something, even with "not the best" other components like all-plastic body (Kevlar is nothing but sticker on a phone), LCD screen, standard camera quality, etc.

                              4. Multiple Camera wars
                              Since LG G5 appeared, the unpopular 2011 HTC Evo 3D and Optimus 3D feature dual-back-camera become a standard, and it's aggravated by the launch of the Triple-back-camera Huawei P20 Pro.
                              Personally, i think it could be a good trend, providing many options like Telephoto, Wide-angle, and Monochrome in one device, but as long as it keeps the primary sensor big, like the 1/1.7" sensor on P20. Unfortunately, with the decreasing of the phone spaces, manufactures would likely tends to go for smaller sensor, which worsening the image quality. I would rather go for single camera, big sensor, than many camera but smaller sensor.

                              5. Faster charging speed
                              It is a profitable feature for companies, along with unremovable battery covers all new smartphones in this year. Faster charging, faster battery life, and faster phone's age, convincing people to buy another one.

                              6. Smartphone RAM capacity wars
                              Many people complaining about this, but i think isn't that good for you having a phone with large RAM? It would be more longlasting, even with no official updates, it will receives a lot of unofficial newer OS ports on future.

                              7. AI
                              This is quickly becomes one of the most effective marketing ever. It's more memorable on consumer's heads than its old name "Auto".

                                Great year in all honesty. Sure, the notch and losing Jack was painful, but in the end, we're getting closer and closer to the real stuff that'll make these phones exciting again. Hopefully the prices go down next year. Happy holidays and a happy new year!

                                  Avicenna., 28 Dec 2018By the time, maybe wireless headphones have been improved d... moreProbably not that low, but enough that the main market can afford it

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                                    • Anonymous
                                    • LkD
                                    • 28 Dec 2018

                                    Avicenna., 28 Dec 2018By the time, maybe wireless headphones have been improved d... moreLDAC belongs to Sony.. They will never license to other headphone makers.

                                    They do not even provide to their midrange headphones.

                                      Macbeth, 28 Dec 2018It's now becoming harder finding phones with 3.5mm headphon... moreBy the time, maybe wireless headphones have been improved drastically and Bluetooth's bandwidth have increased already (or maybe switching to another wireless tech, maybe dual Wi-Fi or something) and get a full lossless audio experience.

                                      Also, audio manufactures would do something with this trends. Wireless earbuds will keeps getting cheaper and cheaper, maybe we could have under $10 good, large or multi driver wireless earbuds with LDAC and Hi-Res support.

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                                        • Nick
                                        • uvE
                                        • 28 Dec 2018

                                        Galaxy Note9 is still the King Of Android World. I am with this device. The real all rounder it has everything what others has not and even S Pen.
                                        The only thing is missing in this king is no notch.(Every top flagship has notch)
                                        I don't like notch :)

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