If you’re planning to buy a new premium phone, hold on for at
least a month.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019, which is just a couple
of weeks away, most of the top smartphone companies are expected to introduce
their latest flagship phones with advanced features and upgraded
specifications.
Samsung will launch Galaxy S10 whereas HMD Global will introduce
penta-camera phone, Nokia 9 PureView. Huawei, LG and Oppo will also introduce
their latest devices at the upcoming mobile show.
But it’s not just the regular product upgrade cycle consumers
should care about when buying a new premium phone in 2019.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
Qualcomm’s top-end processor powers most of the premium phones,
ranging from Samsung Galaxy S9 to OnePlus 6T. Snapdragon 845 processor is now
yesterday’s news. The latest Qualocmm Snapdragon 855 chipset, based on 7nm
process, brings better performance, higher battery efficiency and on-board
artificial intelligence (AI) processing. Coupled with Snapdragon X50 modem,
Snapdraon 855 processor also brings 5G mobile connectivity to 2019 premium
smartphones. Other top features of the chipset include improved gaming
performance (Adreno 640 GPU), AI and higher resolution camera, and in-screen
fingerprint sensor among others.
48-megapixel camera/Camera
Expect the latest premium smartphones to come with higher resolution
camera. The 48-megapixel camera is the new rage and already a few phones like
Honor View20 and Redmi Note 7 feature this. While resolution is certainly not
the best measurement to rate a camera, but sensors under-the-hood are also
getting a big upgrade. Most of these 48-megapixel camera phones are likely to
use Sony’s IMX586 sensor, dubbed as the highest resolution camera sensor for
phones.
Apart from better camera resolution and sensors, 2019 premium
phones may also come with Samsung-like quad and penta camera setups. In the
case of the most 2018 phones, dual cameras featured a main camera while the
secondary camera varied from ultra-wide, depth sensing to monochrome.
Expect newer phones to feature most of these sensors with
triple, quad or penta cameras.
5G
The upcoming MWC 2019 show is also going to be the launchpad for
5G for smartphones. From Samsung, OnePlus to Xiaomi, nearly all the top players
are expected to unveil their new phones with 5G support. Most of these phones
will also launch in the European and US markets later this year. For Indians,
5G is at least one year away. But, investing in a 5G-ready phone right now will
certainly not be a bad idea.
Foldable phones
Foldable phones are no longer a concept. Samsung unveiled its
first foldable phone late last year. The company is widely expected to unveil
the commercial version of the phone at its February 20 event ahead of the MWC
2019.
Samsung is also betting big on the new form factor as it plans
to make at least 1 million foldable phones this year. With India being one of
its top priority markets, you expect the foldable devices to launch here as
well. Apart from Samsung, Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi have confirmed plans to
launch foldable phones this year.
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning
Google last year rolled out Android 9 Pie operating system. With
Machine Learning at its core, Android Pie brought in features such as adaptive
display and adaptive brightness, helping increase the efficiency of the Android
phones. Going forward, AI and ML are going to be a big part of Google’s Android
updates. Ensure you’re new phone is compatible with Android Q.
Apart from Google, smartphone companies like Xiaomi and Asus are
baking AI and ML right into the system applications. Camera, for example, on
premium phones uses AI and ML to automatically recognise the scenes and
auto-optimise the settings. Most of the 2019 phones are going to come with AI
cameras with upgraded features.
Tags:
Mobile