2018 smartphone market: Winners and losers

It can be said, 2018 is not a boom year of the global smart phone market. However, on the end of the year like this, sit down, make a cup of coffee and review some of the events that took place in the smartphone world for the past year, we can see: Ah, obviously These are the 'hits' this year that have brought us something special. Now is the time to see the popular flagship from top names such as iPhone XS, Samsung Galaxy S9, Google Pixel 3 or Huawei Mate 20 Pro . created something special in the past 2018.

Market overview

General assessment

In addition to these 'gems', phone models in the mid-range and low-cost segments have also made great strides. And even innovations from lesser-known global brands like Oppo and Vivo have been paying attention in the past year. These are the efforts that all of us - consumers can appreciate.

But what really makes a point for smartphone devices in 2018? The phone is fast, powerful, and full of exciting software and hardware technologies. The ability to take pictures has improved a lot, approaching the quality of specialized devices, and the important thing is that the user experience has also received very positive feedback . That's what we are. must mention.

However, it is impossible not to mention things that make us not satisfied. Firstly, the price of the flagship products of the companies has skyrocketed in 2018. Just as in the case of Samsung, Apple and OPPO, these manufacturers have increased the starting price for their top devices. up above 1,000 USD - highest ever.

Sales also slowed in almost saturated markets like the US, Europe ., where even the No. 1 global brand Samsung and No. 3 Apple saw a significant decline in revenue. That's why Apple has decided to stop reporting the number of iPhones sold.

It is likely that in 2019 we will be witnessing a more dramatic increase in competition, along with the costs associated with selling prices. It is impossible not to mention the appearance of 5G. 5G phones from Samsung, LG, OnePlus and others are expected to bring faster data transfer speeds exponentially.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of the smartphone world in 2018, as well as a glimpse of the products as well as emerging cell phone companies in the industry of elimination. This is extremely high. The following items will be considered and considered based on assessments from experts and consumers themselves. They are all very comprehensive flagships, however, we will still try to categorize each category so that you get a more specific look. Please consult!

Best smartphone in 2018

1. Google Pixel 3: Smartphone takes the best picture
2. iPhone XR: The most valuable smartphone
3. Galaxy Note 9: The best smartphone for Android users
4. OnePlus 6T: Choose a great medium range that can compete fairly with high-end devices
5. Moto G6: The phone has the best price and brand on the performance
6. Huawei Mate 20 Pro : Powerful and charming with outstanding design
7. LG V40 ThinQ: Excellence comes from comprehensiveness

Smart phones are equipped with the most innovative technologies of 2018

1. Huawei P20 Pro: Gradient style design, equipped with three rear cameras
2. Oppo Find X: Sleek pop-up camera module
3. Vivo X21: The first phone in the world with integrated fingerprint sensor on the screen
4. Razer Phone 2: A real high-end phone for gamers
5. Red Hydrogen One: A professional camera phone

The winners in the smartphone world 2018

1. Apple: Becoming a trillion-dollar company and this is largely contributed by the profit from iPhone.
2. OnePlus: Get support from T-Mobile and its US sales have increased up to 249%
3. Samsung: Still maintaining its position as the world's largest smartphone manufacturer
4. Huawei: Beat Apple and become the world's No. 2 mobile phone brand by sales.

The defeated general in the smartphone world 2018

1. Huawei: Although there is an increase in sales in the smartphone field, in general, 2018 is not a successful year for Huawei when the world's second largest smartphone manufacturer's business agreements. This is seriously affected by the growing US interest in Huawei's relationship with the Chinese government, as well as a violation of US trade sanctions against Iran.
2. ZTE: China's other major brand also faces similar scandals like Huawei. President Trump had to impose sanctions that crushed ZTE's development in the North American market, such as a ban on the use of components from this manufacturer.
3. Palm: This manufacturer may be successful in another area except smartphones, at least up to this point.

This is 5 quality smartphones, but not noticed in 2018

Notable highlights on smartphone products 2018

We have never come closer to the concept of overflowing screens like now

The overall design of the smartphone is still relatively stagnant in 2018, but manufacturers have paid more attention to shrinking the edges and expanding the screen size, extending the screen. image at 18: 9 or even 19: 9 ratio, thereby, optimizing visibility.

To solve the problem of the front facing camera and the physical home button, the designers have used all of their 'tricks' and gray matter to create new designs. And the result is the sliding smartphone models 're-export Gypsy' like OPPO FIND X, Xiaomi Mimix 3 . They all have screens that almost occupy the front area - a highlight really worth noting.

The fingerprint scanner on the screen is no longer the technology of the future

In January last year, the Chinese brand Vivo stunned the smartphone world with the first ideal phone with a fingerprint sensor built right on the screen. Optical sensor will basically take your fingerprint image to confirm that you are a friend.

Although this method is not as reliable as traditional fingerprint sensor and there are still security issues, its launch is a great source of motivation, stimulating the creative ability of brands. Other, from Huawei to OnePlus, and as a result, smart phones with fingerprint sensors on the screen appear, and of course the quality has also improved significantly. Hopefully this technology will gradually become popular in the next few years, as the way traditional fingerprint sensors are a must-have feature on high-end to low-end phones today.

Recently, Qualcomm, the world's largest manufacturer of processor chips, has also announced ultrasonic fingerprint reader technology, using sound to identify the user's fingerprint structure. . It is possible that this technology will appear on the highest-end Android phones in the next one or two years.

The ability to take photos and record videos on current smartphones cannot be underestimated

The segment of the outstanding camera phones really flourished in 2018. Pixel 3, iPhone XS and XR, Galaxy S9 and Note 9, and Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro ., these are all The name has the ability to create great photos and videos, which can be said to be close to specialized devices in some respects. In particular, talking about camera technology on smartphones cannot help but mention the Night Site feature on Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Specifically, this mode allows Google's smartphone to create excellent low-light photos. In addition, Huawei's "Pro" handsets also have a similar feature, but the image quality is not as good as Google's products.

Moreover, many manufacturers have used intelligent AI technology on the cameras of their products, to automatically match the optimal settings to the actual conditions of the environment when shooting, for example, electric models. Mid-range phones from Huawei and Oppo are nova 3i and F9 . The top phones like Samsung's Note 9, Huawei's P20 Pro and especially Sony's XZ3 Premium . have been equipped with video processing technology. super slow motion super slow motion 960 fps, not inferior to professional camcorders.

1. Top smartphones have the best single camera scored by DXOMark

Wireless charging, waterproof, and unplug the headphone jack

Although there are not many changes here, wireless charging and waterproof technology are still high standards in 2018 and are mostly met only on high-end products. Phones without these features, such as OnePlus 6T, tend to be sold at much lower prices.

OnePlus is the latest high-end product to follow Apple to stop using the 3.5mm headphone jack, but Samsung, LG and others continue. The fate of the headphone jack on smartphones may change by the end of 2019 when rumors that the 2019 Galaxy S10 will be Samsung's last phone with a headphone jack - Note 10 in August, is also said to be will remove the headphone jack, ending the traditional 3.5 mm port for wired headphones.

Battery life has improved, but not as expected

Do you want a long battery life but still want to have a bigger screen and more complex image processing capabilities? Sorry, the battery technology on smartphones is still unable to meet your needs. In fact, hardware technology on smartphones grows very fast, but battery technology cannot keep up. There is a phrase 'modern is bad for electricity', this is true in the case of smartphones. If you want a long-term use while still having modern technologies, the most feasible method now is to use backup charger or pay more attention to usage.

The good news is that the battery life on smartphones will improve a little bit because the chip manufacturing technology is still on the rise. However, we also cannot ignore the difference between advertising and actual use, as well as the hardware used in the device. For example, Galaxy S9 using Snapdragon chip does not give long usage time as expected, while Galaxy S9 uses Samsung's homegrown chip Exynos is the opposite.

Much of this is related to how the chip is compatible with the separate software layers of the phone manufacturers. Apple is a notable exception because they control both the processor and the internal software. The battery life of the iPhone is extremely impressive compared to some of the top Android phones, while using smaller batteries.

Let's talk about the price of 1000 dollars

Last year, the iPhone X shocked the world with a starting price of up to 1,000 USD for the lowest version, Samsung also proved to be no less competitive with the Note 9 launched in 2018, which also sold more than 1,000. USD.

Undoubtedly, the top smartphones are becoming more expensive - the numbers prove it. The trend of increasing selling prices in the past time and switching to using 5G in the future shows that the selling price of flagship will continue to rise even more, even out of control.

"If you create enough value, consumers will be willing to pay," Samsung mobile's SVP, Justin Denison said in an interview about the prospects of 5G on smartphones.

2019 will be the year of 5G phone, folding screen, 3D selfie camera?

If you notice, it can be seen that the phone models of 2018 have absolutely complied with the market regulation plan in the smartphone world, without too many breakthroughs, all just enough to create momentum for a real boom in 2019.

1. 5G smartphones will be released in 2019

In 2019, smartphones will be faster (for example, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chip devices) and many other devices will also be equipped with on-screen fingerprint scanners with greater reliability. The front camera will be equipped with 3D technology to create a face-depth effect, which enhances the shooting experience 'taking a selfie' which is perfectly perfect. In addition, technologies and utilities related to telephone payment services will also be invested more.

Moreover, the phones of 2019 will also apply more AI and their software capabilities will continue to thrive. For example: Android phones will grow when Google continues to release new updates for Google Assistant and Google Duplex . Smart gadgets for modern life.

Besides these changes, the selling price of the top devices is expected to continue to increase as in 2019, smartphones will become an even indispensable part of people's daily lives.

What do you think about the smartphone market in 2018 and the forecast of the development trend in 2019? Leave comments in the comment section below! Wish you have a successful new year!

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