Smartphones have been one of the most used computing devices as of 2018 beating PCs to the spot. 2018 has been an interesting year regarding handheld devices. The notch making its way into the markets and the removal of the headphone jack from every major flagship are definitely the highlights of the year. As the year comes to an end, we discuss the top 5 most influential smartphones of the year which left a mark on enthusiasts. Now the ranking of the smartphones are not in any particular order and the devices will be judged for their overall stance and innovation.
01| The Pocophone F1
The Pocophone F1 by Xiaomi is undoubtedly one of the most polarizing devices of 2018. Xiaomi somehow managed to bring in quality specifications similar to most flagships at an obnoxiously low price of $300. The Pocophone F1 sacrificed quality for better performance and provides top-tier experience with very little tradeoffs. As Xiaomi continues to dominate the Asian smartphone market, they would certainly want to release the next Pocophone globally.
02| Oppo Find X
Oppo Find X makes the list because of its unique concept to get rid of the notch. Oppo decided to not wait for next year and attained a whopping 93% screen to body ratio. The motorized front camera may be gimmicky but given that Oppo actually went for such a design is worth praising. The company is still pretty new to the international space and the Find X clearly showcased what the manufacturer is capable of. Although the Find X miserably failed the bend test we hope to see more from the manufacturer and hope that they further polish the concept and continue to bring something new to the table.
03| OnePlus 6T
OnePlus has been delivering consumers with quality mid-range smartphones for a while now and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. The OnePlus 6T sort of redefines the OnePlus motto and brings new features which will drive the company forward. The 6T brings the top of the line specs and a much better geometrical shape than the previous device. OnePlus finally decided to axe the headphone jack and reduced the notch to a mere teardrop. Moreover, the OnePlus 6T officially brought the under screen fingerprint sensor technology to the consumer markets. The company also slashed off a $100 off the MSRP giving an even more appealing deal for customers.
04| Google Pixel 3
Google like each year released a Pixel this year as well. The Pixel phones being the successors to the “Nexus” devices were solely meant to actually showcase how a modern day Android flagship should look and behave like that particular year. But it seems that the company has lost its way in between trends. The Pixel 3 infamous for a huge notch isn’t actually all that bad. Google as always has done a phenomenal job with optimizing the software experience to such an extent that the user just can’t get over it. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL may not appeal the eye very much but as we dive deeper, things start to shape up. The innovation put into the smartphone is barely on the Hardware side. Google is considered to be an expert when it comes to software development and they have done exactly that. The Pixel 3 features incredible AI features with top quality security built by default. The AI shines when it comes to camera performance and the difference is clearly visible. It is clear that the software perks of a Google device are still unparallel to any other Android flagship out there.
05| Samsung Galaxy Note 9
How can a post about smartphones be completed without the talk of Samsung? The Galaxy Note 9 like every Note smartphone provides top of the line smartphone experience with little to no tradeoffs for customers. The only major flaw for the Note 9 may be the fact that it costs a lot but given what you get nothing is to complain. Samsung has however avoided all the trends and decided to be one of the very few manufacturers to keep the headphone jack. With rumours suggesting that the next generation Galaxy’s will most probably have under screen sensor technology, we will most definitely see a new trend by them.
