Android smartphones look back 2018: these predictions came from

 

Android smartphones look back 2018

Nothing as changeable as the world of smartphones. The foldable Samsung phone suddenly becomes reality and the Google Assistant actually speaks Dutch. In January we did some predictions about Android smartphones in 2018 . We look at each point to see whether they have come true.

Prediction 1: An evolution, not a revolution in design

At the beginning of this year we did not see big design changes. And indeed: the front-filling screen made its appearance in 2017, and this design was perfected in 2018.

Almost all Android manufacturers introduced a flagship with notch and narrow screen edges. Samsung was not one of the few to turn up, and released high-end smartphones without notch. HTC and Sony also stuck to the ‘traditional’ design.

Prediction 2: Fingerprint scanners in the screen

The future of the fingerprint scanner is a bit unclear. Most manufacturers place it on the back of the device, and offer a form of face release. Apple even stepped completely off the fingerprint scanner and is fully committed to Face ID.

We expected the scanner to come into the screen this year. That has happened, but the technology is not yet common. Although some devices, such as the OnePlus 6T and Huawei Mate 20 Pro have a fingerprint scanner in the screen, many manufacturers still opt for a ‘normal’ scanner on the front or on the back of the device. That will probably change in 2019.

Prediction 3: E-sim makes its appearance

We expected that e-sim would be rolled out this year. This replacement of the traditional SIM card is, above all, a lot more convenient. Your data is no longer stored on a SIM card, but can simply be downloaded via e-sim.

E-sim is still in its infancy. In the United States, among others, the new iPhones, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL support the technology, but in the Netherlands it is still in its infancy. So this prediction has not come true at all.

Prediction 4: More cameras

Manufacturers loosened last year when it comes to cameras. Huawei placed no less than three cameras on the Mate 20 Pro and P20 Pro and Samsung did the same with the Galaxy A7 (2018), a mid-engine. The Galaxy A8 (2018) even has a dual selfie camera.

However, more sensors do not guarantee better pictures. For example, the Google Pixel 3, with only one sensor on the back, invariably appears in the lists of best smartphone cameras. All in all, however, all manufacturers experiment with cameras.

Prediction 5: Dutch Google Assistant

It was for many the news of this year: the Google Assistant finally speaks Dutch. Admittedly, the voice aid is not as good and complete as its American brother, but the beginning is there.

Many companies, including Albert Heijn and PostNL, set to work Actions . With this you can directly contact organizations and ask questions. Perhaps even more important is that you can now also speak in Dutch to Google Home (Mini).

Unfortunately, our Flemish readers still can not get started with the Assistant. We are regularly asked if we are aware of Googles plans, but unfortunately we know as much as you.

Prediction 6: When did smartphones come out?

Manufacturers keep their lips stiff when it comes to when phones come true, but we can usually make a pretty good estimate. We predicted, among other things, that the Galaxy S9 would appear in March and the Note 9 in August. We also thought that the Pixel 3 would be released around October / November and the OnePlus 6 around May.

 

In general, our predictions were pretty accurate, but with the Xperia XZ2 and (until now) never appeared Nokia 9 we were quite wrong. The Sony phone appeared much later and according to the rumors, the Finnish flagship will not be released until 2019 .

Prediction 7: A nice year for Nokia, a bad year for HTC

As predicted, Nokia grew steadily this year. The iconic brand again brought phones with a good price / quality ratio to the market and was fast with updates thanks to Android One . There were mainly improved versions of devices that released earlier in 2017, but that is not bad at all.

The situation at HTC is very different. Things have not gone so well with the Taiwanese manufacturer for some time, and that was no different in 2018. The company released some phones, but they were not special. According to the latest reports, people do not stop using smartphones for the time being. However, it may be wiser for the company to tap a market other than telephones.