Technology is constantly changing. The fads
that go along with it are also true. If, on the other hand, you are like me and
were forced to sit in a corner and reevaluate the year that had passed in terms
of smartphones and technology, you
would undoubtedly be overjoyed by the appearance of new form factors on
occasion. You would also be pleased to see that foldables are gaining
popularity and that the misconception that a device is only considered flagship
if it has flagship internals is slowly but surely beginning to dissipate.
You would also remember some trends and
particular devices that you would not want to see continue in the coming year.
And while the initial two ideas contain a lot of pieces, let's take a look at
the devices or concepts that didn't work.
Some of these phones or concepts are so
incomprehensible that it takes some time to figure out what the brand was
trying to do. You just hope that other businesses don't pick this idea because
many brands just copy what Apple does. Yes, Apple is also on our list, along
with a few others.
OnePlus Nord
In
order to comprehend this, we will need to retrace the company's beginnings and
examine how it built such a strong following that OnePlus phones became one of
the most popular premium phones in the nation in such a short amount of time.
Since the first OnePlus phone was released,
fans have adored them. The brand was an instant hit not only in a market that is
price-sensitive like India but also in a number of other countries because the
concept of offering flagship-grade specifications in a package that was
decently (affordable) priced made a lot of sense. The brand's aggressive
marketing tactics also contributed to this.
OnePlus was able to sell a lot of its
products, but the company had to raise prices in order to stay profitable, so
it also moved away from the affordable flagship label.
Even though the company's co-founders
repeatedly refuted the idea, OnePlus Nord was launched in 2020, according to
various rumors.
OnePlus claimed that it listened to the
community's feedback and wanted to fill the void left by its move into the
premium market. Ironically, the company never heard from the same community about
things like wireless charging, better cameras, IP ratings, and the removal of
the headphone jack.
Despite this, the Nord lineup was
supposedly designed to offer affordable, high-end devices similar to OnePlus;
however, the products in this lineup are made of a lot of plastic and look like
Oppo phones. Devices sold under the Realme and Oppo brands may resemble one
another if you pay close attention.
Having said that, rebranding devices is not
harmful; however, are users simply paying a premium for the skin?
It is undeniable that any brand must
maintain its commercial profitability. OnePlus, on the other hand, could have
done a lot better, especially since some really good devices have raised the
bar so high. Because the company claims to be "different" and
"community-driven," one only hopes for the best.
LG Velvet
Everyone hoped that the South Korean
company would rebound after a difficult few years. The company has a reputation
for trying new things, being creative, and taking risks. The company had a
different point of view and had unique phones. For instance, the LG G5, a
semi-modular device, may have failed, but I loved the concept of customizing
features.
LG's take on foldable devices is another
such concept. A secondary display that can be removed when not in use was
added. The LG G8X sold a lot during the recent holiday sales because it took
the company several iterations to perfect it. And LG Wing, who can forget this
year? Even though these cutting-edge gadgets may not be for everyone's taste,
they are nothing short of pure gold for technology enthusiasts.
Coming back to the LG Velvet, the phone
that is part of LG's renewed focus on flagship models, it is a beautiful device
to begin with. awe-inspiring due to its stunning display, 3D arc design,
exquisite camera setup (without a bulge), and shiny rear panel. However, a
smartphone cannot be sold solely on its appearance, and it would be
unreasonable to expect users to buy one when the company is selling a device
with a chipset that is two years old and can barely connect to a 4G network for
Rs. 50,000 (Rs. 36,000 with only one screen).
The global LG Velvet variants have MediaTek
Dimensity 1000 series or Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipsets that are ready for
5G, whereas the 2017-introduced Indian variant has a Snapdragon 845 chipset.
We tried, but were unsuccessful, to
comprehend their pricing strategy and the baffling logic behind it. We even
attempted to communicate with LG executives to gain a deeper understanding of
the situation, but to no avail. Therefore, despite our wishes to the contrary,
the LG Velvet is included on this list due to its odd pricing and out-of-date
processor.
Samsung Galaxy M31S
Similar tactics have been criticized in the
past for the. Frequently, their phones lacked a sensor or were repackaged
devices with minor branding changes. The Galaxy M31s, which was released
earlier this year, is a great example of a product that should not have been
released.
Samsung appeared to be going back to its
old ways with features that are almost identical to those of the Galaxy M31,
which was released almost six months ago, and minor improvements to its
specifications, but a significant price increase.
Samsung could have also altered the
processor. The Exynos 9611 has literally been running about 30 other Samsung
phones, including variants, in the same price range.
We are not suggesting that multiple phones
should use the same chipset; rather, it might result in excessive use.
acknowledged that Samsung manufactures its own Exynos chipsets and has
extensive access to them. However, it is completely perplexing that the phone
was out of stock for a significant amount of time immediately following its
launch as well as later.
In addition, it suggests that the M31s was
best suited to fill the cost void left by the Rs. It does not appear to be
much.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
another Samsung product, but this time it
falls more into the flagship category and has a questionable reason for being
here. The basic Note 20 and the powerful Note 20 Ultra are the two models that
make up the Samsung Note 20 Series. While the latter is a kind of powerhouse
that packs a huge display with high refresh rates and almost all of the
high-end features, it also has a great camera setup, is built with premium materials,
can use 5G, and is expensive, just like other flagship phones this year.
Despite being the regular Note variant this
year, the Note 20 appeared to lack all notable features in order to ensure that
the Ultra takes center stage. The Note 20 was made solely to make the
exorbitant price tag of the Note 20 Ultra appear reasonable due to its plastic
construction, subpar camera array, and standard 60Hz flat display.
The phone is summed up in our review as
"This phone doesn't just have a smaller screen and a lesser camera array
than the Note 20 Ultra; It has a plastic back, a lower-resolution, dimmer
screen, and a flat front that lacks the finesse of flagship models.
Back in the day, companies would only
release one flagship phone at a time, and then they would probably also release
a smaller version later. Both of these phones were worth the money because they
were good value. Later, brands started launching multiple variants at the same
time, including a base variant, a Lite variant that was stripped down, and an
Ultra or Pro variant—which could be referred to as the one on steroids—all at
the same time.
Because it offered something to buyers
regardless of the device they purchased, this strategy still made sense. But
with the Note 20 series, Samsung has started to take users for granted. This
new trend makes the original Note 20 nothing more than a gimmick, and anyone
who buys the vanilla Note 20 will feel like they are missing something.
As the year draws to a close, we hope that
other brands will not take their cues from this trend, which only added numbers
without adding value to the brand in the eyes of users.
Apple iPhone 12
The year 2020 will be remembered as the
first year that even Apple felt the strain of declining demand and low sales.
In a single year, the Cupertino-based company released five phones. four iPhone
12 variations and one iPhone SE 2020. Yes, there are five different iPhones,
but you would be mistaken if you expected a technological breakthrough or a
completely new design.
Instead, you get a design that is, well,
not new at all, an iterative update, a higher price, and so on. The iPhone's
size notch has not changed despite Android users trying to hide the
front-facing camera. According to reviews, the iPhone 12 is extremely uncomfortable
for a longer period of time due to its sharp edges, and larger models like the
Pro and Pro Max are even more difficult to grip. The design itself appears to
have been borrowed from the iPhone 4, which was released a long time ago. It
immediately brings to mind a song from a Hindi movie that goes something like,
"naye packet me bechein tumko jeans purani."
Agree that a lot of technology has been
squeezed into that small space, and the only biometric security Apple devices
receive is hidden beneath this notch. However, despite numerous iterations,
Apple has not focused on reducing this notch's size. It is argued that the
notch gets smaller over time, so you don't notice it as much, but it is still
an eyesore and unfortunately nobody talks about it anymore.
Another major criticism of the most recent
iPhones is that, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most powerful model and
comes equipped with all of the most recent features, the other models appear to
be outdated designs that have been repackaged in a new box with a few minor
updates.
It is encouraging that Apple has finally
joined the 5G train, but paying a premium for a technology that you cannot use
in India, at least for the time being, does not make sense. 5G connectivity is
available everywhere. Additionally, the introduction of MagSafe is yet another
indication that the iPhone will not have a charging port. In fact, the charger
has already been removed from the box by Apple, and the charging port will soon
disappear along with the headphone jack.