Editor's Choice: Top 5 smartphone "trends" I don't want to see in 2023
It's officially 2023, the new year. It is time to let go of old habits and do better. Hopefully, the same will happen in the global smartphone scene.
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| Example of a thick chin bezel |
In this article, we list the top 5 smartphone trends that I personally don't wish to see this year 2023.
Top 5 smartphone "trends" I don't want to see in 2023
5. Pro monicker in budget and affordable mid-rangers - In Tagalog, "Lahat na lang ng telepono PRO, kahit budget phones with low specs PRO?" Imagine buying a "Pro" phone then it won't feel "Pro" at all.
4. Flagship branding on budget and mid-range phones - Similar to the word "Pro," the term "Flagship" is one of the most overused marketing on smartphones today for me.
To keep it simple, "flagship" in businesses mean, the "most important one" in a group of products. However, we see some brands keep on calling mobile phones "flagship" even if they are just budget or mid-range phones.
Others? They put "flagship-like," which is kinda okay. But it could be "deceiving" for those with weaker reading comprehensions. To recall, the Philippines is the lowest in reading comprehension among 79 countries based on a 2019 report.
3. Thick chins on expensive phones- This is a nitpick. But, having thicker chins on premium phones doesn't look that aesthetically pleasing.
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| Notch on an over PHP 20K smartphone |
2. Notch in mid-rangers - Unless it has a complex system for face recognition, and security, and more like the iPhones or multiple front camera systems, having a notch on mid-rangers and even some premium devices like feels obsolete for me.
Mid-rangers with notches doesn't look that modern compared to devices with punch-hole screens or full screens with pop-up cameras.
On entry-level phones, this is still acceptable though.
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| 200MP main cam, 2MP macro cam |
1. 2MP cameras - I find most of the 2MP cameras, especially the macro sensor to be gimmicky. Why? Most of the time, their picture quality is bad and might only be usable (still very grainy) in broad daylight or if you have proper studio light.
A few years back, this is considered "cool". However, recently, they act just as "filler cameras" just to complete the dual, triple, or quad camera setups of your phone.
On higher-end phones, it feels imbalanced having a 108MP or 200MP main camera paired with 2MP macro phone.
I hope to see more ultra-wide shooters in mid-rangers instead of macro cameras this year.
To those who do not know, there are sensors with lenses that can do ultra-wide and macro at the same time.
On budget phones, they could have removed it to make the device even more affordable. Besides, you will rarely use that feature anyway.
Honorable mentions: 4G mid-range phones and Extended RAM - There is a reason why chipmakers are producing SoCs with 5G connectivity. Mobile makers, please use them. Reserve your phones with 4G chips in the entry-level category. It is 2023, guys.
Meanwhile, I'm totally fine with Extended RAM. This tech uses the phone's internal storage as makeshift RAM also known as Virtual RAM. The tech helps in keeping your phone smooth and run more apps in the background.\
But brands and their promoters in the malls (I've visited a few malls to check mobile devices recently), are marketing it as if it is a physical RAM. Physical RAMs are faster and better.
How about you guys?
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