Why SmartPhone Innovation Died!

In this video I talk about the reasons I think phone tech has become so boring and with minimal innovation over the last few years. Everyone is guilty, from Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Nokia, and so on. This is a general overview based on my own personal observations.

00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - Brands lack innovation
03:25 - The Tech Community influence
06:12 - Consumer Attitude
06:37 - Final Thoughts and More

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[oryanol]

I made a similar video about the death of smartphone innovation. I think it is mostly the tech community that killed innovation. "Nothing is cool till Apple does it"

[killbot]

Simple, they all look the same…aside from minor difference in the camera module, the phones are identical in shape and size…..

[AbdullaZaki]

RIP OG Nokia, LG, OG HTC, BB, Windows Phone. You all deserved better.

Why do you think phones are boring today? Do you agree with my points or do you think it's something else? Share your thoughts, I read all the comments I promise :)

[otherssingpuree]

I remember wanting cool phones throughout my childhood, we always had a slab Nokia. When I finally got a job, smartphones had become ubiquitous.

[lexatrice]

I never go with trends. I always avoid it. I don't bu overed popular phones. Sticking with Nokia. It feels different and nostalgic

[DS-uznd]

It's mind-boggling: when the BB Classic and then the Key-series came out, all the phony reviewers claimed they "really really wanted to love" them. A statement usually followed by a stack of lies. But, hey, "is there really a place for phones with a physical keyboard?"???! Is there? How come none of them ever ask whether there really is a place in the market for the 1, 500th identikit midranger? You need a frigging flowchart to keep track of all Samsung models. And you're not missing much if you only watch Apple's launch every other year. Meanwhile, used or refurbed Key-Series phones sell above their launch prizes. And I grave a "dumb" phone with a decent camera. There were some 8 years ago. Why is that impossible now? I recently switched from a Mate 10 Pro to a P40 Pro. And yeah, the camera is obviously better and the screen a bit bigger. Otherwise? Nope. The Mate was as fast, and even last week, after 4 years of heavy daily use, the Mate 10 Pro's battery still got me through a day and a half with juice left. And why can't there be a competent camera phone that doesn't try to tick all other boxes in order to justify a high price? Or a good phone without an expensive camera? When real Nokia released the successful E61 WITHOUT any camera, Nokia already had good 5MP shooters. There's variety. Or remember the HTC One M8? What a sound. Most current flagships deliver nothing nowhere as good because they need the space for the 5th camera module and the in-display fingerprint reader that doesn't work when it's raining... pffft...

[yash_kambli]

These i want to add in my wishlist
1. Squarish aspect ratio display, say 4:3 or 3:2
2. 1 inch 20mp camera with a 24mm equivalent FL and variable aperture starting from F1.4 (would be ok with camera bump as think as 20mm)
3. Upgradable Ram and memory option
4. Dual screen phone having a display extended all the way down to the one side so when being unfold both screens will merge together without letting bezels to create hindrance in the middle of a screen.

[Vratiss]

Great points. One example is also nokia xr20. Noone cares that it has increased durability and is more focused on active people. Everyone just sees pricy plastic phone with low specs.

[平和-vz]

Not only they have gotten boring, they also got very anti consumer and expensive...

- No Headphone Jack
- No Removable Battery
- No Expandable Storage

+ Most tech reviewers aren't criticizing these missing features.

[MartinLuetzelberger]

I have a box of old phones in my hands right now. I don't think I've ever thrown one away. For example, there is a Samsung SGH-D500. It has a small speaker that you can plug into it. I especially like my Sony Ericsson W850. It has an orange light bar that flashes rhythmically when you play music. I think you would like that too. These are such lovely details that you no longer find on devices today. Then another 3310, 3410, N96, N97, even my very first one a Motorola with a rubber antenna. And that's not all. I'm glad I didn't sell the devices for cheap like most people do. So many memories are associated with that.

[takamina]

We need what made the Nokia empire once. It is the durability, quality and famous PureView Camera technology, uniquely designed in its own way but still ensuring aesthetics.
Should pay attention to the errors that arise during the update and use of the phone. Let's bring Dolby Atmos sound technology together with OZO

[Sabundy]

Great video 👍👍👍. You expressed issues that I've had for years about how toxic as hell the tech reviewers on YouTube are. The absolute highlights you pointed out that easily demonstrate it are

1) How they expect every phone to work like an iphone. And if it doesn't then it's "niche" or whatever other hack label they will attach to it.

2) They mock new innovative features on phones and call them gimmicks and is until Apple or Samsung copy them. Then suddenly they are brilliant essential features.

3) The gross dishonesty of how they all made these tearful tributes to LG mobile when they all played a part in killing LG's mobile business.

4) The absolutely insane manner in which they review every product using the exact same list of criteria. Exactly as you said....could you imagine if car reviewers did imagine someone reviewing a manual sports car and then spending the entire video complaining about how it doesn't look or drive like an SUV. Everyone would consider it totally idiotic. Yet that exact same way of approaching tech reviews is simply accepted by most people....

[lihtan]

Another factor we're dealing with here is a lack of imagination. We now live in an age of rampant hive-mind group thinking. We're dealing with a different level of consciousness than we did a decade ago. Most people don't form their own thoughts, they just repeat whatever the group consensus is. The people that do have the creativity to imagine new possibilities for how we communicate likely wouldn't want to work for the stifling corporate giants of big tech. Apple made their name making digital tools for artists, but now they just sell expensive and crippled luxury goods.

If you're looking for innovation, I would look at the smaller outfits and open source communities are creating. Devices like the Mudita Pure, Fairphone, Pinephone are good examples.

[og]

The tragedy of exposing media bias is that things don't change from it. Every feature is a 'gimmick' that's condemned until it's widespread, and I'm not above that mentality.

Watching your video made me realise the shortcomings I have in my perception of innovation. Thank you.

[ashe.gaming]

Do bear with me, this is a long rant that I have wanted to get this off my chest for some time.

In recent years, I have felt somewhat turned off by tech YouTube channels, and I find their content is always focused on the pro, plus, ultra, max phones. These channels will often ignore the base level flagship unless it is from Samsung or Apple, and some won’t even look at budget phones as if it was beneath them.

Speaking of the “pro” phone obsession, since when did “pro” come to mean 2GB additional RAM, a telephoto lens, a slightly bigger battery by literally a few hundred MaH, and a slightly bigger screen, be deserving of the label of being a “pro” phone? Over the years, these so-called “pro” phones have increased in price but removed features that many people still want such as expandable storage and a headphone jack. The only phones I would even deem to be deserving of being called “pro” go to the Sony Xperia I III, Xperia 5 III, and the Xperia Pro-I. Yes, you see that right. I even include Sony’s more affordable Xperia 5 III to be deserving of a “pro” title.

I think the real disconnect with these channels comes down to what they think their audience wants from them. The fixation on the pro, plus, ultra, max devices does not reflect what consumers want to see based on factors such as affordability or ease of use etc… and as you say, it's all about the numbers as well as the benchmarks that have no relevance to real-world usage. This, in turn, has pushed the manufacturers to focus their devices on trying to get as large a number on AnTutu or Geekbench as possible, even if that means having to cheat by restricting SoC use for normal and gaming usages, but pushing it to 100% purely for when it detects benchmark apps.

I would confidently say that the YouTube tech community has made the phone industry to what it is now, toxic and obsessed with meaningless stats and numbers. I am currently after an upgrade for my Oppo Reno2, but I feel I am going to have to ignore reviews on YouTube as many channels are judging any kind of phone to an iPhone or Samsung. If they don’t meet up to their standards, then they don’t seem to give anything else any credibility. Overall, tech YouTubers are as equally guilty in encouraging the phone companies behavior.

[ReinoldFZ]

Technology looks distant when all it is behind a touchscreen. buttons, sliding parts, hinges, real mechanisms is what to me feels futuristic and really innovation. Bit by bit the smartphone is turning from fun gadgets into desktop computers, a device in which you can play and have some social fun but one know is there mostly to work.

[isaiasprestes]

Great video! I remember back there in 2000s, people wish to have light, small, long last batt phones. Nowadays we just have these bricks or tiles. Every year those things just get bigger. I really miss my Siemens AL21 - small and light. It used to fit in any pocket. Last week I bought an old stock new Sony Z3 compact for the price of a budget meal. Gosh! Rediscovering the pleasure of a small mobile. After some hack - here thanks to LinageOS guys - the phone is now running Android 11. Safe and sound, and in a better shape than 2014 when it came out.

[avinashrai]

Biggest problem is that even big brands like samsung, apple and Xiaomi arent trying… Samsung makes a ton of similar priced, spec and similar looking device but they aren’t interested in making one device that may not sell well but can serve that special buyer who wants their phones to be special. Blackberry, Htc, LG and Nokia all gone and we are left cheap chinese copycats.

[miguelojera]

I kinda blame the reviewers on this one because most of them are either paid, biased, or both. Almost every video review I watched over the years that's not an Apple or Samsung always gets the hyper critical assessment unless it is sponsored.

[Jrv]

Love your videos man remember swapping my Nokia 6500 slide for a n95 8gb as a kid jeez that phone was ahead off it's time. Also have fond memories off my Xperia X10 pro emulating Gameboy games and using the built in keyboard