Best and worst smartphone trends of 2018

Skyrocketing prices

In 2018 the trend for increasing phone prices continued and we've reached new heights. Apple was the biggest offender with the iPhone XS Max price going through the roof (that's without even considering the 512MB model). But we're seeing this across the industry with just a few exceptions. Innovation and improved features in each new model now come hand in hand with steady price increases and we saw rising prices across all flagships including OnePlus, Samsung, Huawei, Sony, and LG.

The bad news is that trend of sky-high prices will continue throughout 2019. Because while a few of those brands may have seen increased production and patent costs, others just do it because the others do it.

But there is some good news, too. In the wake of those $1000+ flagships, another class of smartphones emerged...

The market disruptors

Xiaomi's the Pocophone F1 really turned upside down our perceptions of how much a phone with top-of-the-line specs can cost. In the light of the overly expensive headliners, Xiaomi pulled a OnePlus-like move and launched a true flagship killer. The Pocophone F1 had everything that was considered cutting-edge at the time, from screen, chipset, through the camera, battery, and connectivity. But the price, oh that sweet price, is what put the Pocophone on everyone's watchlist - it launched at INR 20,000 in India and at about €300 in Europe. Enough said!

Sure, OnePlus was leading the rebellion against the flagship clique, and with the OnePlus 6 and 6T it's quite a factor, but Xiaomi dethroned it from the killer spot in 2018.

It will be hard for Xiaomi to repeat the Pocophone F1's epic success as much as it was hard for OnePlus to follow up on their original flagship killer - the OnePlus One. But both makers are putting effort to go against the grain of the current market reality and they are winning in their niche. So, please, keep that up!

Finally, Realme, a former Oppo subsidiary, literally conquered the entry-level market in India with unbeatable budget prices for mid-range-specced smartphones. Realme 1 and 2 Pro are still among, if not the best value offers in the few Southeast Asia markets they operate in and we can see this trend continuing throughout 2019 as well.

So, while the giants in the industry sat in their comfortable chairs serving us with incremental upgrades at higher prices, it was the smallest Chinese companies that seized the opportunity and rose to fame riding a similar wave as OnePlus back in the day.