By 2018, an estimated total of almost 2.53 billion people around the world will own at least one smartphone, says German market research firm Statista. In one of the most lucrative and dynamic industries, smartphone manufacturers are in a rat race with their own gimmicks and bells and whistles in tow in order to survive.
To win consumers, features are being used by manufacturers as armours more often than not. For 2018, we have already heard a bunch of beef-ups to expect--bigger batteries, larger RAMs, faster processors, QHD displays, thin to no bezels design and more AI-induced techniques, among others.
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In this list, however, IBTimes Singapore has compiled some of the most popular features we've heard in 2017 but didn't actually make it into production for some reason. Some features already exist but haven't gained traction yet.
Here are four of the biggest and groundbreaking smartphone trends to watch out for in 2018:
In-display fingerprint scanner
Apple Inc may have failed to pull off the fingerprint sensor that was reportedly planned to be placed under the stunning display of the iPhone X, hopes are high that this feature will finally arrive in 2018. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd also attempted this feature for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus but to no avail.
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Vivo is now in the running to pioneer the in-display fingerprint scanner feature, boasting a prototype of its next-generation smartphone. Are we going to finally see this feature at the CES event in January 2018?
18:9 display aspect ratio
The community had not been unanimously ecstatic when Samsung, out of the blue, used an aspect ratio of 18:9 for the displays of the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. But some analysts believe that the traditional and market-dominant 16:9 aspect ratio will be gone soon as 18:9 will become the new standard. Other phones already jumping on board this trend are Google Pixel 2 XL, Huawei Honor 9i, Oppo F5, OnePlus 5T, Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus and LG V30 and G6.
Folding dual-screen displays
For many years now, various patents for dual-screen displays have been reappearing on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, keeping a good ground that phones with such design might soon become available. Based on reports, 2018 is the year that this promising feature will be widely introduced to the public.
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The ZTE Axon M already came out early in December, boasting this technology. Samsung's rumoured Galaxy Note X has been said to sport a dual-screen display that transforms into a 7-inch tablet and is set to arrive in the third quarter of 2018. Microsoft, LG, Lenovo and Huawei are all expected to deliver this design next year.
Distant wireless charging
When wireless charging used to be a rumour a couple of years ago, people expected that OEMs will make it work free from peripherals or external devices. This is not the case though as wireless chargers available in the market today are all dependent on charging pads.
In 2018, a new milestone is expected to take off in the smartphone charging department. Will it be time for a truly distant wireless charger to come out?
Which feature are you looking forward to in 2018?
