Mobile phones today are “smarter” than ever before, and come with the latest technology. Whether we talk about the upgrades and updates made to the operating systems (Android v. 11 in the latest Android phones, and iOS 13.6.1 for iPhones), or the latest processors in high-end premium phones, the latest smartphones are truly creme de la creme. Over the years, mobile phone companies have released what were then considered to be revolutionary handsets, that laid the foundations for the smartphones we have today.
Steve Jobs once claimed that he wanted to put a ding in the universe, and the launch of the first ever iPhone, to this day, is considered by many to be the true beginning of mobile innovation. That set the tone and the standard for future handsets, as Apple continued to challenge the status quo until Samsung decided to meet the challenge head-on.
While the two brands continue to dominate the premium segment, other brands have since entered the fray, and have released handsets that have redefined the concept of a smartphone. Here is a list of those outliers that succeeded in setting a different trajectory for the smartphone industry, forever changing its landscape.
- Vivo NEX
Smartphone brands today do not miss an opportunity to drive in their phone’s bezel-less displays and their high display-to-body ratio. However, one could argue that things would’ve been very different, had Vivo not launched the exquisitely designed Vivo NEX in 2018. The phone’s front side had no bezels and was free of a notch, while the fingerprint sensor was placed under the display, which has since become the norm with all the smartphones. Even today, Vivo NEX is an excellent phone to own, and is still regarded by many as the best smartphone under 25000, as it also comes with a pop-up selfie camera.
- Samsung Galaxy Note
We currently live in a world where even Apple recently relented to customer demands, and now offers iPhone models with more than 6-inch displays. However, it wasn’t long ago when mobile phone manufacturers scoffed at the idea of designing phones with displays greater than 4 inches. It was Samsung that first dared to dream with the Galaxy Note, which came with a 5.3-inch display. Today, one would be hard-pressed to find a smartphone that comes with a 5-inch display or less, and with smartphones now being used to prepare presentations and reports, it is difficult to imagine what would have happened, had Samsung not dared to challenge the status quo all those years ago.
- iPhone 4
At a time when other smartphone brands were trying to reinvent the wheel, Apple was designing what is considered by many to be the best looking iPhone to date. iPhone 4 looked stunning, with the glass-and-aluminium sandwich design that has since become commonplace with iPhones. The iPhone 4 also sported the A4 chip, which was the first Apple-designed processor, which is even more significant, considering the fact that Apple’s A-series chips are now considered to be the best in the market.
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
If we talk about setting precedent and deploying cutting-edge technology, Samsung has been doing that for nearly a decade. The brand recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy Fold, a futuristic model that might inspire other smartphone brands to launch similar phones in the coming years. The 12GB RAM mobile phone comes with a foldable display, and it reportedly took the South Korean giant 6 years to launch the phone, from the concept ideation to designing the final product!
- Google Pixel 2
In recent years, smartphone brands have thrown everything but the kitchen sink when it comes to phone cameras. We now get phones with dual, triple, quad, and even penta-camera setup at the back, along with dual selfie cameras.
However, one could argue that Google Pixel is the best camera phone available in the market today, and it only comes with a single rear camera! Google Pixel 2 turned the tide, and proved that more camera hardware isn’t the solution to providing high-quality images. Google made the most of digital computation processes, instead of packing more cameras.
Furthermore, Google also unveiled its Pixel Visual Core chip with Google Pixel 2, alongside its main processing components, which significantly enhanced its image processing capabilities.