Apple iPhone Xs, Google Pixel 3, and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 — these are some of the recently released smartphones before the year 2018 ends. We also have the upcoming OnePlus 6T which will come with another in-screen fingerprint. But despite these tempting releases, it might be better to hold off until next year before you get another new phone.
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Snapdragon 855
One of the main reasons to hold off this year is the upcoming Snapdragon 855 from Qualcomm. Based on the 7nm process, it’s expected to provide a boost in performance and efficiency of at least 35 percent. It seems to be always a bad timing when buying a new android phone around the 4th quarter as the next flagship chipset is just around the corner.
The Snapdragon 855 Fusion Platform: Qualcomm’s Next Flagship Chipset
5G Support
Although it’s still under early stages, Snapdragon 855 is the first one to support 5G modem. OnePlus and Samsung are expected to pioneer the latest technology next year and the country is also taking initiative in order to support these phones (though, in selected areas for the meantime). The 5G connection won’t exactly replace 4G, instead, it’ll leverage that in order to provide lower latency (<1ms) and higher data rates (>1Gbps).
Vivo tests 5G on its smartphones
Huawei finally announced its first foldable 5G smartphone
In-display Fingerprint
We are now starting to see mainstream flagship phone sporting in-display fingerprint such as the latest Huawei Mate 20 Pro and upcoming OnePlus 6T. This trend will, of course, be carried in 2019 with Samsung Galaxy S10 expected to arrive with the feature.
OPPO Find X Review – Is it truly the game changer in the smartphone industry?
Android Pie
Only a handful of handsets come with Android Pie such as Google Pixels, Essential Phone, and Huawei Mate 20 Series. As for the rest, it’s expected to arrive sometime early next year. Android Pie delivers a few nifty features like digital well-being, gesture navigation support, adaptive battery, and dark mode among others.
Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL now official – Full specs and Philippine release 2018
Top 10 Ways How Huawei Mate 20 Pro Beat iPhone Xs Max, Note 9, Pixel 3 XL
More AI Features
2019 will be the year of AI. Latest SoCs have started coming up with their own dedicated NPU and we’re just about to see more. A good example is from the Mate 20 Pro’s live cinematography effects for improved background and subject separation. Not to mention, the adaptive battery feature.
