The Failed Smartphones of 2020

This guide provides a clear, practical overview of the failed smartphones of 2020, with useful context, important details, and straightforward takeaways for everyday readers.

The reason for the late sale of Nokia 8.3 is that No Time To Die, the new James Bond movie (HMD is the phone supplier) has been delayed. After being released, the Nokia 8.3 was also unsuccessful as more highly rated 5G smartphones appeared, such as the Google Pixel 4a 5G, Poco F2 Pro or OnePlus Nord.

In 2019, Microsoft made a surprise when launching the Surface Duo, a 2-screen Android smartphone with the ability to fold, the interface is optimized for many different uses. By August 2020, this product is on the shelves. 

However, the Surface Duo is not appreciated when the software has many bugs, few applications support 2 screens. The price is also a problem because if you spend $ 1,400 for the Surface Duo, users only get the Snapdragon 855 processor of 2019, no fast charging, lack of wireless charging and only 4G network.

The brother of drug boss Pablo Escobar once introduced Escobar Fold - a foldable smartphone with a price of 350 USD in 2019. However, the product is in fact the Royole Flexpai model was renamed. By 2020, this company launches Escobar Fold 2 for $ 400, just the Galaxy Z Fold2 is covered by the name. Of course, people who pre-order the product will never receive the item.

Motorola caught the eye when it launched a new version of the Razr flip phone . In addition to the familiar clamshell design, the new smartphone uses a folding screen, running Android with modern configurations. However, when sold in early 2020, the device is priced too high compared to the configuration. For $ 1,500, users only get a mid-range processor in 2018, Android 9 platform, low battery capacity and poor camera parameters. 

Motorola Razr is underrated as Samsung Galaxy Z Flip - a clamshell smartphone equipped with an ultra-thin glass screen, better finishing quality, high configuration and cheaper price. In late 2020, Motorola unveiled a 5G version of Razr with dual cameras, upgraded the configuration but could not create any attraction. Photo: Motorola.

Contrary to the success of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the Galaxy Note20 was not well received. Compared with the cheaper Galaxy S20 FE, the Galaxy Note20 lacks a 120 Hz screen, no microSD card slot, and lower battery capacity. Despite having a fear of advantages such as 8 GB RAM, 8K video recording and S Pen support, the higher price of up to 300 USD makes the Galaxy Note20 not a reasonable choice compared to the Galaxy S20 FE. Photo: CNET.

OnePlus has had a successful 2020 with its high-end OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone. Machine equipped with Quad HD + 120 Hz screen, powerful configuration, high-end camera and water resistance. Even the mid-range OnePlus Nord line is quite outstanding, except for the OnePlus Nord N10. 

Specifically, the OnePlus Nord N10 is only slightly cheaper than the OnePlus Nord but without the OLED screen, the processor is also weaker. Meanwhile, the Nord 100 (pictured) is just a rename version of the Oppo A53 which is not so excellent. Oxygen OS's new look and commitment to only one Android upgrade to the Nord N series is controversial.