Waiting for a friend, I sneaked into a nearby Mother Diary store for a cold drink. The owner asked me what I wanted to drink, and I said, “Anything cold is fine.” The smartphone situation is no different from the carbonated drinks market. Mobile phones have become so boring that it doesn’t really matter whether you upgrade to a flagship smartphone or stick with a mid-range model.
In my 10-year career in technology reporting, I’ve used every new device before it reaches consumers, met the executives who shape the mobile ecosystem, witnessed the fall of giants, and watched readers change. I have had the opportunity to observe changes in the technology landscape, including: Habit. I’ve watched the rise of tech influencers and YouTubers, watched the smartphone boom unfold, witnessed Chinese smartphone brands enter India, and watched the transition from 3G to 5G. I have also been following the rise of ‘Make in India’ manufacturing initiatives and the creation of a digital payments market in India. But now that the mobile ecosystem is robust and mature, it seems like brands continue to create moments of FOMO among consumers, while smartphones themselves are stuck in the past and struggle to evolve. Masu. Especially in this region, it has become difficult to obtain iPhones and smartphones. High-end smartphones are seen as status symbols, even if they no longer attract as much attention as they used to in wealthy countries.
Like it or not, foldables aren’t the future of smartphones. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
It’s not that consumers have stopped buying smartphones. Sales are still stable, but not growing as rapidly as they once were. India continues to be a bright spot, which is why brands and the entire mobile industry are closely monitoring this market. However, realistically speaking, India does not dictate global trends like the US or Europe, nor does it have brands of the scale of Apple or Google. While the Indian smartphone market remains strong, global smartphone sales are sluggish and more people are using their smartphones for a longer period of time (almost 3-4 years or even more). This in itself shows that the average consumer does not feel the need to upgrade their smartphone every year, as existing devices last longer and still work well. This is the reality today, and the industry is starting to realize it, but I’m not saying smartphones will suddenly disappear. That won’t happen, but the excitement of owning a new smartphone (and in my case, reviewing a new device) doesn’t seem as exciting as it did five or six years ago.
I don’t think we’re going to see breakthrough technology on smartphones anytime soon. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Even brands don’t seem to be as passionate about new product launch events as they used to be. These once-hyped product launches now feel drawn-out, often unimpressive and snoozing. Consumers can easily predict what will be released, how the next flagship smartphone will be marketed, its features, and even its price before it is released. Of course, this took away the excitement of a new smartphone launch. In my research articles, I still reference old launches dating back to the days of Steve Jobs. At the time, there was a sense of mystery surrounding this product. Media embargoes and advance briefings were not as common as they are today. The presentations were short and to the point, with the presenters interacting directly with average consumers who may not be familiar with the value a product can bring to their lives. But now, launch events are put together to focus more on investors than consumers (yes, big events, with actors, influencers, YouTubers filling the venue, big events, etc.) ), the emphasis seems to be less important. About products and everything else.
But the sad thing is that once the launch presentation is over, no one remembers the product and wonders how this smartphone is different from last year’s model and why they bothered to launch a successor when there are differences. That’s what it seems. minimum. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I looked at my smartphone and got goosebumps or my eyes lit up. Maybe it was the iPhone 13 mini, but it’s 2021.
I really miss the good old days when smartphones were fun and weird. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
What I’m saying is that smartphones have become as bland and boring as washing machines and refrigerators. I’m not exaggerating. That’s the hard truth. There was a time when cell phones were experimental, and their features (both hardware and software) made sense and actually solved consumer pain points. But now mainstream smartphones are very predictable. They all look the same, with premium glass and aluminum finishes, large OLED screens, and DSLR-like cameras. In fact, it’s hard to tell the difference between a smartphone from three years ago and a flagship smartphone from 2024. Even if you don’t buy a new smartphone or upgrade for 3-4 years, you won’t notice a huge difference in performance. There may be minor camera upgrades, but nothing so shocking as to force you to upgrade to a newer model.
I remember a time when smartphones were really interesting. While mainstream smartphones like the iPhone and Galaxy S series have always existed, there was a time when brands took risks and offered a new perspective on smartphones. Remember the BlackBerry Passport or the LG Wing?Sadly, both BlackBerry and LG no longer make smartphones, but the fact that they’re still remembered is proof that they did something different . Gone are the days of groundbreaking design. Brands have gotten so lazy that they just churn out smartphones with the same design every year, call it new, and still expect people to be excited about it. We’ve reached a point where we call innovation when a company adds a new physical button to a smartphone or changes the camera placement. The benchmarks are set so low that any small change in the physical design or improved camera performance counts as an improvement. Because calls for “incremental improvement” are often ignored or ignored altogether.
It all started with the original iPhone in 2007 and continues to this day. Smartphones have officially become boring. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Design is already stagnant in smartphones, and it’s noticeable across the lineup. It’s clear that you can only change the design to a certain extent, and over the years brands have tried all sorts of ways to differentiate their smartphones. Screen size has stabilized (no matter how much the bezel shrinks, the phone can’t go beyond a 6.9-inch screen). Improvements have been made to the camera from both a hardware and software perspective, resulting in DSLR quality photos. We have also perfected technology that allows you to charge your mobile phone in minutes. Processor speeds have become so fast that they no longer make a huge difference in device performance or app functionality.
The problem is that the core of smartphones hasn’t changed since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007. The glass pane design remains the same, but has been slightly modified and perfected to the point where it feels like a new feature that the brand claims is an “innovation.” Forced as technology and form factors mature. Even a foldable phone that fits neatly in a pocket and unfolds to an 8.0-inch display fails to provide real value to consumers. Foldables are not what the industry used to tout them. There is not much difference in the experience of using foldable and non-foldable smartphones. Therein lies the problem. It’s software. Instead of software improving, we’re stuck in a debate about whether iOS is better or Android is more open. In reality, while the annual operating system updates seem packed with new features, they don’t fundamentally change the smartphone experience. Rather than adapting the UI to changing form factors or the various smartphone screen sizes currently available, the latest releases, whether iOS or Android, build on the existing It just adds more functionality to the interface. .
I understand that many of the decisions companies make are influenced by physics and economics. There’s only so much you can do within a small form factor. The role of regulators has also influenced the design of modern smartphones. But that’s not the only reason smartphones are getting boring these days. These companies have the resources, people, and technology to reinvent the smartphone, but they won’t do it because we, the consumers, are complacent.
Smartphone sales are slowing in mature markets such as the US, UK, and Europe. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The fact remains that the days of expensive features on smartphones are over. Key features include things like FaceTime, Face ID, iMessage, and the apps that once defined what a smartphone was and inspired us as consumers to migrate from feature phones to smartphones. I’m not sure if AI is a revolutionary step to spice up smartphones, but all the AI features I’ve used on smartphones seem useful in some scenarios, but I still don’t plan on changing the way I use them. It’s clear that there isn’t. That being said, smartphone brands will do everything they can to put generative AI into their devices and market it as the rebirth of mobile phones.
But AI doesn’t solve the fundamental crisis facing the smartphone industry: a lack of smartphone alternatives and people holding on to their smartphones for longer periods of time. People buy smartphones out of necessity, not out of desire, so in some ways it’s no surprise that smartphones, like any other product category, have become boring. I think we are at a stage where smartphone stagnation is certain to occur, but it is also a chicken-and-egg problem. On the one hand, it’s good for consumers. Smartphone prices have remained stable and the affordability aspect has made high-end smartphones more accessible to consumers in markets like India. On the other hand, the more time people spend on their smartphones, the more it can be detrimental to businesses. Major smartphone manufacturers also seem to recognize this point.
The fact remains that the industry has not been able to come up with a replacement for smartphones. Several companies have attempted a vision of a less phone-centric future with AI gadgets like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit RI, but the experiences provided have been inconsistent and glitchy. In fact, what devices like Humane are trying to do can already be done on smartphones. Devices like Apple’s Vision Pro headset, on the other hand, are more technology showcases than consumer products. There’s little reason to buy Vision Pro or Meta’s AI glasses instead of a smartphone. The drawbacks are too significant to ignore.
Don’t get me wrong. Even if it gets boring, the annual smartphone cycle isn’t ending anytime soon. Smartphones will remain in our lives for years to come, coexisting with alternatives like AR glasses and small, voice-controlled screenless devices. But as both a consumer and a technology journalist, it saddens me that the bold days when smartphones tried new things are not coming back.
