Ten smartphone trends we want to see in 2021

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• Ten smartphone trends we want to see in 2021

If there's one thing 2020 has shown, it's that our reliance on technology will only increase. In a matter of days, our smartphones have become our hub for entertainment, documentation, payments, contact tracing and more, making them even more indispensable in our lives. Amid a global slowdown, India has defied the odds by posting record shipments as well as a higher average sales price, highlighting our country's untapped potential. Cheaper data transmission rates, a strong push towards digitization, immense competition between segments and growing demand have made smartphones a particularly interesting segment that has taken steps in the right direction. Even with many more options on the market, there were far less terrible devices that we couldn't recommend. To keep the momentum going, we'd like to dig deeper into this space and look at ways to improve the journey that can be better for a consumer, from better products to more effective communications. Here are the top ten smartphone trends we'd like to see more of in 2021.

Simpler product lines

Starting with the one that committed the most brands this year, manufacturers should rethink naming schemes and positioning of smartphones to make it easier for consumers to know what they're looking for. Suffixes like pro, plus, max, i, lite, ultra, etc. they have become too common for anyone to understand. It gets even more confusing when a brand offers multiple deals in the same price segment, leaving consumers with more questions than answers. The solution? Stick to a nomenclature that clearly outlines what a phone spiel is, and add a suffix that really hints at the specialty of the phone, like Power for battery, SuperZoom for camera, etc. A good example of this is Nokia, where a 2.3 will be followed by a 2.4 and a 3.3 will be the next step up the price ladder. Having products that are easier to understand can also save companies communication efforts and marketing expenses.

Compact phones

(Image credit: TechRadar) Remember the days when a phone with a 5,5-inch screen was considered a phablet and anything larger than 6 inches was a tablet? Today, even the smallest of androids is in the same stadium. While there are obvious advantages to a larger phone, there's still a small market for smaller phones. We understand why this is so difficult to achieve, though: a smaller phone will mean a smaller battery, poorer thermal management, smaller camera sensors, and poor speaker performance. The iPhone 12 Mini is the only phone that's somewhat invincible to these shortcomings, but it's also far from perfect. Maybe this is a case where the customer doesn't know what he wants? Compact phones are perhaps the least likely to materialize on this list. We may have to make thin and light phones.

Curved screens

(Image credit: Future) Curved displays continue to be a topic of debate in the smartphone world, as fans struggle to reach a consensus, just like brands. For one, they offer a much more premium feel, a better viewing experience, and a higher screen-to-body ratio, which offers a bigger screen in a smaller body. On the other hand, they are more susceptible to damage, take up more internal space, and can be suppressed by improper palm rejection. Some of these downsides are being addressed by brands, but progress seems pretty stagnant. We think the problem here is that the most popular phones with curved screens, like flagships from Samsung and OnePlus, offer the worst experience in terms of features and accidental touches. Interestingly, “smaller” brands like Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo don't face the same issues, which leads us to believe in the future of flexible displays. If more consumers discover well-made curved screens, their preferences may change.

Folding

(Image credit: AakashJhaveri) Foldable smartphones are a very exciting category that is still very nascent. So far, it's been a horse race in the form of anything Samsung has come up with. Nowhere have the alternatives been as competitive or as widely available. While foldable products are indeed the future, we believe brands are wasting precious time honing their craft when the market is young. Yes, the first two generations are unlikely to be good, but you have to start somewhere. It may not be so obvious right now, but Samsung's leadership in the present will be key to its future. We hope that the reports of the upcoming Xiaomi and Oppo foldables are true.

High refresh rate display

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri) In 2020, we've seen high refresh rate displays become a necessity for a luxury. Not only have almost all brands offered it, but we have also seen the technology spread to the lower segments. By 2021, we expect the momentum to continue and 90 and 120 Hz displays to be democratized by budget smartphones. Do you think we will see it in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment as well?

Fast charging standards

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri) Fast charging on smartphones has reached new heights (and speeds) in 2020. We've even seen plenty of budget phones offering incredible charging speeds of less than an hour on a full tank. In a way, this makes up for the limited battery capacity that small phones suffer from. However, there is one major hurdle that doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon: interoperability. Seemingly each company has taken a different approach with the implementation of fast charging. Some went for higher voltage, some increased current while others used multiple input points. This fragmentation led to a weird problem where USB Type-C is everywhere, but it's not your preferred charging standard. We'd love to see brands work on this and add support for at least one common standard like UDB PD or Qualcomm Quick Charge, so users can really forget about worrying about not carrying a charger. With Android OEMs looking to exclude chargers from the box, fast charging could once again become a luxury.

Computational photography

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri) AI for photography gets a bad rap from those who don't really understand it. But if there's one feature that will continue to take smartphone imaging to new heights, even beyond the limitations of hardware, it's computer photography. By the end of 2020, almost every phone in every segment offered some level of intelligence to help users get better pictures, whether that be in the form of night mode or portraits, or something a lot. more complex like painting in daylight or replacing the sky, increasing the chances of getting a good photo. Since hardware can be difficult to optimize and expensive to upgrade, we expect more companies to adopt the software-based approach to photography.

Better software experience

(Image credit: OnePlus) Shortly after the official release of Android 11, we saw a surprising number of OEMs offering day-one updates to beta versions: OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi, and many more were ready when Google. was. Fragmentation has always prevented Android phones from receiving timely updates, but this year was different. We've also seen brands spruce up their skins by reducing the amount of bloat, which simplifies the interface while retaining customization. In general, we have seen that things are moving in the right direction. On the same subject, we believe that budget smartphones do not get the same love, be it updates or optimizations for the Android version. When we think about it, it's these weaker devices that need to be better tuned to ensure smoother operation. By 2021, we expect budget phones to provide a better software experience as well.

Slow down the run to spec

Due to the inherent nature of Android, brands invariably go for crazier specs every year to try and win hearts and wallets. But often, the high specs don't translate into a better overall experience, leading us to question the very things that companies tout at launch events. We've all seen how many vanity metrics and comparisons are touted without significantly affecting the actual performance of the phone. Quad cameras, benchmarks, battery sizes, etc. they are interesting to watch, but not always useful. Better communication is needed to explain the decision to offer specs or less faff in marketing collateral.

More daring designs

(Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri) Remember when all phones had gradient blue backs? Fortunately, those days are long gone. While most phones had a somewhat similar design with a bunch of cameras in a rectangular casing along the corner, the brands also tried to create unique design languages ​​that were cohesive. With the basic shape set, we'd love for brands to get a little more adventurous with their designs, whether it's through colors, materials, finishes, shapes, or something that hasn't been done yet. For a device we interact with for hours every day, an unpleasant form factor can equate to a bad user experience.