10 hottest features we saw on smartphones in 2018

Notch displays

It was a trend that was set by Apple with the launch of the iPhone X in late 2017. Soon, the Android smartphone makers jumped on to the bandwagon of notch display phones. In order to incorporate the notch, they started reducing the bezels and implementing almost edge-to-edge displays. Now, there are hardly any notchless display smartphones in the market and it has made its way across all price ranges.

Sliding cameras

Vivo is one notable smartphone maker that brought in several innovations this year. The company launched the first smartphone featuring a sliding camera or a pop-up camera. The Vivo NEX was launched with a pop-up selfie camera mechanism and was later followed by the Oppo Find X, which came with a sliding design.

Triple/quad cameras

Dual cameras have become a norm in smartphones with almost all the devices being launched with such cameras. In an attempt to take this to the next level, some brands such as Samsung, Huawei and Oppo came up with triple cameras at the rear. Desperate to bring about further changes, Samsung came up with a quad-camera smartphone recent.

Artificial Intelligence

As the specification war has reached a saturation point, smartphone makers started relying on software to make their offerings unique. One such hottest selling point is the implementation of Artificial Intelligence. We came across the launch of many smartphones with AI camera and AI Face Unlock inbuilt.

Stock Android

Though stock Android prevails from a long time, it started gaining popularity this year. As a result, several smartphone brands such as Nokia, Asus, etc. started launching products under the Android One programme, which offers a pure and stock-like Android experience. This leaves users free from concerns related to bloatware and lag due to custom skins.

In-display fingerprint sensor

Earlier, the fingerprint sensor was positioned at the front and embedded into the home button. Due to the full-screen design, the same was moved to the rear. Following one of the innovations from Vivo earlier this year, the in-display fingerprint sensor trend has become common. There are many smartphones, especially in the high-end market segment with in-display fingerprint sensors. It is said that this technology is in the nascent stage for now, so we can expect changes in the future.

Glass backs

Glass backs were restricted to the premium models in the past but this year brought a difference. Smartphones makers started implementing this design language on devices across price points. So, even the mid-range and entry-level phones have been launched with such a design.

USB Type-C

USB Type-C is touted to pave way for faster data transfer and charging. This feature was a common one on the high-end devices. This year, many affordable smartphones have also started featuring a USB Type-C port instead of the micro USB port and ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack for the purpose.

Gradient colors

In addition to glass back, the gradient color options and unique diamond cut designs gained popularity in the smartphone industry. Since earlier this year, we have been coming across smartphones featuring attractive gradient color options that reflect the shades when light falls on them.

Fast charging

Fast charging has been prevalent since a few years but it has become common this year. With the launch of mid-range smartphones with this feature, it is now common to see fast charging across price points. In addition to general fast charging, companies like OnePlus and Oppo have taken this to the next level with their innovative technologies such as Warp Charge 30 and VOOC Flash Charging.