Smartphone Landscape in 2015

As the smartphone industry grows by leaps and bounds, manufacturers are gearing up to entice users with innovative features and functionality. Users will witness many new devices with flexible displays, 3D Hologram projectors, improved optics, more powerful processors, longer battery back-up and much more

- Rohit Arora

India witnessed some real action in the smartphone category in 2014 and is considered as the fastest growing smartphone market in Asia Pacific. The Q3 (July to September) observed a market share growth of 27 percent due to affordable pricing and the smartphone figures touched a number of 23.3 million units. The trend will continue for the next year and it is expected that the global smartphone sales will further rise by 13-15%.

Expect smartphones with fold-able displays

Samsung showcased a Note 4 variant with a curved display this year and it is expected that the Korean giant is going to bring some interesting smartphones with curved and foldable display technology in 2015. The technology will have some positive impacts on smartphone usage. Curved or foldable displays offer better visibility of content because they tend to cause less reflection of light, which in turn leads to better colour contrast and accuracy for reading or watching videos.  This also means less consumption of battery as a display with better viewing angles requires less brightness. The technology can also enhance portability as foldable display will turn a 10 inch tablet into a regular 5 inch device for a convenient fit in your pocket. The company might opt for a 25-30 percent cut in its mobile device portfolio to implement some innovative ideas to attract consumers, as the smartphone market is just going through a specification war, where innovation has been pushed to the back seat. We can also see some metallic smartphones from Samsung and the next year’s flagship model Galaxy S6.

LG G Flex was the first smartphone with a true curved display. The company is expected to update its design and bring G Flex 2 in 2015.

LG launched its curved flagship - G Flex which was high on price and innovation and we might see an upgraded version - the G Flex 2 for the masses in the first quarter of 2015.

Charging time for batteries will reduce by 75%

Smartphones in 2015 will be equipped with such technology that will cut the charging time of batteries by up-to 75% and will make them last up-to a week. A California based company is already working towards improving the battery efficiency of the smartphones through hardware and software enhancements. One example that we have seen in 2014 is the Oppo Find 7 which gets charged from 0% to 75% battery life in just 30 minutes, which is significantly less as compared to other competitors.

Flagship smartphone wars will more intense

Sony is expected to bring the successor of its flagship model Z3 and 5 affordable smartphones that will be powered by MediaTek chipsets and will compete with the domestic smartphone manufacturers such as Micromax, Lava, Spice, etc.

The HTC One M8 has failed to impress the camera enthusiasts with its updated 4 MP Ultrapixel technology. So, we expect HTC will come out with some definite improvements in the technology that it implemented in HTC One M7. Similarly, the much praised LG G3 with its laser autofocus camera will see a successor (LG G4) with improved set of optics and faster processing power.

New entrants will continue to keep established players on their toes

Asus has successfully captured a large segment of the market with its Zenfone series which is affordable yet feature rich. It is expected to showcase Zenfone 2 series in January 2015 at CES. The new series will be powered by the new Intel chips that will come with 4G capabilities. However, by launching the first 4G device in under Rs 10,000, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has already won the first bet.  Xiaomi will also launch its much anticipated flagship smartphone Mi4 in the first half of 2015.

The domestic players will continue to grow

Domestic players such as Micromax, Spice and karbonn will also introduce their share of smartphones and will continue to maintain a large share of the market. Micromax will go one step ahead and bring some affordable 4G LTE devices powered by Snapdragon 210 chipsets. 2015 will see the second installment of Android One devices ranging from Rs. 6,000-12,000, as Google is expected to invest more than Rs. 100 crores in collaboration with the three Indian mobile manufacturers on advertising and marketing under its ‘Android One’ initiative.

Qualcomm’s first flagship smartphone will be a tough competitor as it will feature the fastest Snapdragon 810 chipset and 4GB RAM

The attention seekers of 2015

Interestingly, the biggest chipset maker Qualcomm will also venture in the smartphone market and is expected to bring the super phone of 2015. The possible specifications such as Snapdragon 810 chipset, a whopping 4GB RAM, 6 inch Quad-HD display and a 3100mAh battery will be enough to outshine possibly all other counterparts.

Google’s much talked Project ‘Ara’ will also uncover its first Modular smartphone that can bring a new change in the smartphone technology with its upgradable hardware parts. This attempt can open the gates for a whole new market of removable hardware modules that can make your smartphone ready to fight with their successors in a cost effective manner.

3D Hologram technology will be embedded in smartphones to project pictures and videos on large screens

In terms of innovation, some smartphones in 2015 will integrate 3D Hologram technology that will make them project 3D images and videos on large screens. Ostendo, a California based startup is working on the technology termed as Quantum Photonic Imager to produce hologram projector chips for the future smartphones.

Microsoft has introduced its first non Nokia Lumia device (Lumia 535) and is expected to bring the first series of smartphones powered by Windows 10. The future Lumia devices will feature upgraded OS and some refined optics. Last but not the least, the Cupertino giant, Apple will make its innovative iWatch available for users in April and the next generation iPhone in the third quarter of 2015.

Microsoft will update its Lumia range to Windows 10 and refined camera sensors

Predictions for 2015

1.    Smartphones with curved and foldable displays will hit the market

2.    Improvements in battery technology will cut the charging time by 75%

3.    Sony, Samsung, LG, HTC etc. will launch their flagship models

4.    Brands such as Asus & Xiaomi will continue to bring affordable feature packed smartphones

5.    Google to invest more than Rs. 100 crores for Android One initiative

6.    Modular smartphones and 3D Hologram technology will enter the market

7.    Microsoft will launch Windows 10 powered Lumia devices

8.    iPhone 7 will also make entry, late in 2015