It's About Time !!

It's been a year since I wrote about something that can grab the attention of people, but I think I have found the perfect topic to talk about especially at this point in time. The past couple of decades has seen some of the greatest innovations in the smartphone industry making it the most successful and profitable domain of the 'Tech Industry'. This industry has seen the rise of more than 100 manufacturers in various continents creating a healthy competition amongst each other. However, few manufacturers have had greater success in influencing consumers in the smartphone market.

Who do you think these "few" manufacturers are? The answer is pretty obvious. Every individual you meet these days definitely has a smartphone made by these Tech giants. People try to associate these brands with prestige and self-esteem. They feel that if they go for a relatively less expensive or not well known smartphone brand, their friends and colleagues will make fun of them and start judging them. Well if you are one of those people who thinks in this direction, then you seriously need to stop, self-reflect, and continue reading this article till the end. Honestly, I too was one of those people who treated smartphones as a status symbol, but over the years I have realized that owning the most expensive smartphone made by the 'No.1' brand in the world does not do justice to the tech-industry as well as myself- 'a tech lover'.

Manufacturers like Samsung, Apple, Google, and OnePlus have changed the way a phone looks, feels, and functions making the world of communication, photography, gaming, and long distance chatting easier than ever before. However, over the recent couple of years these brands have made very slow progress in terms of innovation. These brands have relied more on incremental upgrades, special offers, and their influence on people in the preceding years to gain profits and customer satisfaction. Even brands like OnePlus and Google who are relatively new to this industry have followed the boring and 'safe' methods of smartphone production and in the process have lost the opportunity to make a breakthrough in the present smartphone market. These top brands no doubt are one of the best still, but the emerging smartphone manufacturers in my opinion have already outsmarted them in the last couple of years.

The recently held 'Mobile World Congress' saw some gigantic strides in smartphone innovation and design that really set the bar for the future smartphones to come. The event started with the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S10 with the new punch-hole camera design and the 3 lens camera setup. However, this wasn't the best part of the whole event. The smartphone manufacturers that caught my eye this year have supported the case I have been trying to make till now.

NOKIA 9 PURE VIEW

After having disappeared for time period of 3-4 years, the age old favorite phone brand of the world made a comeback in the year 2016 by launching a bunch of mid-tier smartphones. However, by the end of the fourth quarter of 2017 they managed to beat HTC, Lenovo, Sony, and Asus in terms of sales. Nokia has always been known for their world-class smartphone cameras and durability, and this year they didn't disappoint. The Nokia 9 Pure view with the first 5 lens camera setup has really taken the game away from brands like Apple and Samsung who have been the leaders in this department for quite some time now. The five lens camera setup is no gimmick. This camera system powered by Zeiss optics provides brilliant low-light performance, dynamic range, depth of field, greater image stabilization, and the power to shoot and edit RAW and DNG format photos on the go. This completely transforms the smartphone-camera and has become a major competitor to many existing premium smartphones on the market with a heavy price tag.

HUAWEI Mate X

Within a week of Samsung's surprise announcement of their Foldable Galaxy F series, Huawei stole the show by launching the Mate X. The Mate X is considered to be one of the fastest and powerful foldable smartphones of the year till now packing a 7nm Kirin 980 Chipset and a Balong 5000 7nm multi-mode 5G chipset unlocking the capabilities of 5G speeds ahead of its rival, the Galaxy F. Apart from the power packed into this phone, the camera system engineered in collaboration with Leica has been integrated into this design in very clever way. People can now take selfies with both front and rear cameras with the help of fourth screen at the back of the phone which acts like a mirror. This phone has truly taken the foldable idea to the next level and has once again made HUAWEI stand strong among the top smartphone brands in the world, despite having a big price tag. This phone also houses the largest battery in a smartphone and uses Huawei's fastest 55W charging technology to give you 85% charge in just a 30-minute charging session.

VIVO 15 Pro

This Chinese manufacturer has been on the sideline for quite sometime now. Vivo in the past has focused primarily on camera and music, paying less attention to the the performance and hardware aspect of their devices. This is also one of those brands whose innovative ideas along with Oppo have been adopted by the more premium smartphone brands. However, Vivo did not disappoint this year. The VIVO V15 Pro is no less than any other smartphone this year. It definitely checks all the boxes that a premium flagship device must have. The V15 Pro also houses the motorized pop-up selfie camera that has been criticized a lot in the past. But, this pop-up camera has been crafted with precise engineering to ensure no glitches in the performance of the 32-MP selfie camera. The narrow-bezels, flashy color options and impressive hardware under the hood makes the phone look futuristic and worth the money at a low price tag.

These manufacturers have gone all out this year posing a tough challenge to the dictators of this industry. They have shown the power of innovation and technology in the current period pushing the limits of a simple handheld device, 'The Smartphone'. I am not saying that you stop using phones made by Apple, Samsung, Google, and OnePlus. The point I am trying to make is that living in this modern world, we desire everything thing that is high-tech and the latest in the market, then why not own the latest in smartphone technology as well. If you are a tech lover, you might already get what I am trying to say. Just give these brands a 'chance', and I am sure that you won't be disappointed. It's about time we stop wasting our valuable money on purchasing devices with small and mundane improvements, and move towards the manufacturers who are trying to push the limits trying to provide 100% customer satisfaction.

A big price, an eaten fruit or a mathematical operation symbol does not guarantee the best device in your hands right now, and in my opinion are lagging behind quite drastically. It's time they realize that, doing minor innovations year by year isn't going to win them customers in the future. So, next time when you go to a store to purchase your next smartphone, think for a while and make the right decision. Because I sure will!!