What a year it’s been. From the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone, which helped define smartphones as we know them, to Samsung bouncing back from its 2016 issues, and every OEM bringing their best; this year the smartphone industry became the most competitive it’s ever been.
We all expected smartphone manufacturers to significantly expand their product line. Android phones are often billed as iPhone-killers (though they’re usually designed more to be Samsung-killers), and this stayed true at the end of last year, as the impending launch of the iPhone X crept into every conversation. Apple was expected to bring a major shift to the iPhone towards the end of this year, and every Android brand had to bring the best they could. Most of them delivered.While Android continues to dominate the smartphone market share, the elusive iPhone owner remains the target for each Android OEM, and for good reason. These consumers are some of the most loyal and most willing to spend more on a phone. To stand any chance of capturing these users during a big year for the iPhone, every brand needed to do something. In the end they all delivered something that helped them stand out.
Think Android and many immediately think Samsung Galaxy — in some markets, these terms are interchangeable — and this year, Samsung showed why it is the world’s leader in smartphones. The Galaxy Note 8 demonstrated that Samsung’s juggernaut phablet line could not be stopped by even an exploding flagship. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus pushed the smartphone industry toward the taller form factor. LG stepped up its efforts this year with both the G6 and V30, excellent devices in their own right. The same goes for HUAWEI. The P10 and P10 Plus found success, but the real star was HUAWEI’s Mate 10 Pro, which launched late in the year and won our coveted Phone of the Year award.
Those are the big ones but looking around the rest of the industry, every brand brought their best. Even companies that have traditionally struggled managed to find something to offer this year. Motorola expanded its Moto Mods device line with the Moto Z2 Force and others. Sony’s reemergence as a smartphone player continued.
