5 Trends That will Define The Smartphone Industry in 2019

Attributed to: Mr Ashwin Bhandari, CEO, iVOOMi

For the smartphone industry, 2018 was marked as a year when even mid-range smartphones could afford artificial intelligence (AI) powered chipsets, dual rear cameras, HD screens, Notch display and several other high-end features. With the speed of technology upgrade, there is every reason to believe that the trend will further pick up in 2019. Below is the technical prowess that the smartphone industry is expected to witness next year:

1. The Era of 5G

5G cellular technology has been talked about since last 4-5 years. However, it may finally make way into our lives this year. It will not only boost the speed of the mobile network, energy efficiency, and connection stability but also bring down the latency, i.e., the time is taken by a network to respond. At full deployment, 5G can provide around 1Gbps download speed, i.e., 100X the current speeds. In other words, there will be no buffer time while streaming online HD videos. Last but not least, it will make the internet of things (IoT) a feasible reality.

2. Artificial Intelligence will be more real

If AI-powered cameras rocked in 2018, 2019 will witness its proliferation to maps, authentication, and many more usage habits. Think of a situation when your smartphone is lost but the thief cannot log into the device because its machine learning ability identifies that there is an unusual grip on the device, which does not match with the owner. The precious details of the user will remain safe and secure. In another scenario, your connected car can take you home from anywhere, using offline navigation details saved on your smartphone. Additionally, most of your interaction with your smartphone will be voice and gesture-based, all thanks to AI assistants.

3. Bigger is Better

 In the last few years, bigger displays have been the most important differentiator for smartphones. While most smartphones offer more than the 5-inch-wide display screen, the race in 2019 will be to provide 5.5-6 plus inch screen at the most affordable prices. Apart from this, the foldable screen will not be a mystery feature anymore. You can fold, twist, and turn your screen anyway to suit your sitting, walk, or lying posture. So, get set for a lot of Netflix binging on your device in the new year.

4. And a Notch Below

In 2017, Notch became mainstream for smartphone devices. However, over a period, manufacturers realized that it consumes too much space on the screen, without much value add. In 2019, the smartphone manufacturers will attempt to cut down some precious screen real estate consumed by the Notch. Therefore, we can see a Waterdrop Notch, just a hole on the screen, or at best, complete farewell for Notch displays.

5. Glassy Back Becomes Classy

Glass backs add a touch of luxury and style to smartphones. However, there was some sense of brittleness associated with it. To add some durability, smartphones have started using Shatterproof and heat resistant polycarbonate resin. However, so far, glass back featured only in top end smartphones. In 2019, we will see more mid-range smartphones offering the same. There will be increased emphasis on aesthetics, ergonomics, and user experience, which was earlier a differentiator for high-end smartphones.