2017 is coming to an end, which means it’s time for us to look
back at some of the key moments in the world of Android, the good and
the bad.
Collapse of net neutrality
While not directly related, the collapse of net neutrality
is bound to have an impact on Android and its users. What was once
hailed as one of the most important milestones in the history of
Internet is now gone, thanks to Ajit Pai and the Republican-controlled
FCC. Although legal challenges will continue against the December 14
vote to repeal net neutrality, many are concerned that the FCC’s
decision would negatively impact average consumers, including Android
users. Without net neutrality, ISPs can throttle or straight up block
certain content and websites, whether it’s on a computer or a
smartphone.
(Near) bezel-less screens and new aspect ratios
The repeal of net neutrality rules was a grim moment, but 2017 as
a whole was dominated by an incredible design trend: bezel-less phones
with displays that look extra long. Starting with LG and shortly after Samsung,
most Android manufacturers have been making the transition from the
conventional 16:9 aspect ratio to what is known as the Univisium aspect
ratio or 18:9 (for Samsung, it’s 18.5:9). The result is that most Android flagships this year have been long and narrow with minimal bezels on each side, offering a more polished and minimalist look.
Essential Phone
Speaking of bezel-less phones, the Essential Phone
was one of the first Android phones to boast such a high screen-to-body
ratio. In fact, it was the first phone to sport the now-famous “notch,”
in which the front-facing camera sits. As you probably know, the
Essential Phone was particularly exciting because it was created by Andy
Rubin, who is considered the father of Android. The design, for one,
did not disappoint: cased in a beautiful titanium frame, the Essential
Phone looked fantastic. However, as we saw later down the road, the
Essential Phone wasn’t commercial success; in fact, even those who were
brave enough to buy one soon faced software-related problems, making it one of the most overhyped and disappointing devices of 2017. There is good news, though— Essential is being very transparent about the development process and continues to release updates that improve the camera and software.
Razer Phone
Essential was not the only newcomer to the world of Android in 2017: Razer, a Singaporean-founded gaming company, debuted its first Android-powered phone
earlier this year, which was extremely well-received by critics. The
Razer Phone comes with some serious power, including Snapdragon 835, 8
GB of RAM, 4,000 mAh battery, and a Quad HD display with 120 Hz
refresh rate. The butter-smooth UltraMotion display alone should make
the Razer Phone stand out. The announcement of the Razer Phone was
definitely one of the biggest moments of 2017 for us tech nerds.
LeEco comes and goes
Not all newcomers got to stay, however. I’m talking about LeEco,
also known as the Netflix of China. The company makes affordable phones
and televisions, and riding on the success it’s been seeing in
countries like China, it ambitiously jumped into the US market in 2016.
Fast forward seven months or so, things start to look pretty bad. LeEco fired 325 people in its US division alone
this past May and was sucked into all sorts of financial scandals.
Although the company remains oddly optimistic about the US market, the
lack of brand recognition and questionable assets combined with the
non-existent relationship that it has with US carriers will continue to
be a significant challenge. The way I see it? 2017 almost saw another
OnePlus.
Bixby joins the big league
While this newcomer isn’t gone yet, it’s struggling to stay, in my view. Bixby, Samsung’s very own AI assistant, was announced
right before the Galaxy S8 unveiling. It replaced the notoriously
useless S-Voice that has been plaguing almost all Samsung devices for
years, but industry experts don’t seem to be convinced that Bixby is all
that different from S-Voice. Samsung already announced that Bixby will
live inside other smart appliances down the road and that its acquisition of Viv Labs will play a key role, but 2017 was filled with AI assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant,
both of which are significantly more advanced and mature technologies.
If 2017 was pivotal in that Bixby came into the world, 2018 will be an
important year for its survival.
Smart speakers everywhere
As mentioned above, 2017 was filled with AI assistants and smart speakers. Google expanded the Home family; Amazon revamped the Echo family;
third-party manufacturers flooded the market with their own smart
speakers. If Google Home and Amazon Echo devices were previously
reserved for early adopters and tech enthusiasts, 2017 was a turning
point in that they became truly mainstream. I can’t say that the usual
privacy concerns have been adequately addressed, but more affordable
devices like the Echo Dot and the Google Home Mini seem to be selling
well.
Google’s hardware 2.0
Last year
we included Google’s announcement of the Pixel and Pixel XL as one of
the key moments, and I chose to include it again this year for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
– but perhaps the reasons are slightly different this time around.
While the original Pixel phones were noteworthy because they marked
Google’s expansion into hardware, the Pixel 2 devices showed the limits
of that expansion. Sure, the Pixel 2 XL’s camera is the best camera in
the market right now according to DxO,
but from burn-in issues to touchscreen issues, the Pixel 2 XL was the
talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. Having said that, Google’s
hardware ambitions are most likely to continue, and here’s hoping that the $1.1. billion investment results in something spectacular in 2018.
Android Oreo and Oreo (Go edition)
Android Oreo
is the newest version of Android, but the more exciting news is that
Google is also working on a “lighter” version of Oreo, dubbed Oreo (Go edition).
Designed specifically to work on entry-level phones that have 512 MB to
1 GB of RAM, Android Oreo (Go edition) will play an important role in
emerging markets. Lighter and optimized software means cheaper hardware
costs, which translates to more affordable phones for more people.
Augmented reality becomes our reality
If 2016 was a year of VR, 2017 can be characterized as the birth
year of AR. While AR has been around for a while, it was never made
mainstream. Consider Project Tango,
for instance. Google’s AR project began years ago, but it imposed such
strict hardware requirements that there have been only two smartphones
with the technology built in. That’s one of the many reasons why Google
is transitioning to ARCore,
its new software-only AR program. Competing directly with Apple’s
ARKit, ARCore is worth noting because it will provide the basis for all
Android AR apps come next year. Pokemon Go 2.0 anyone?
Wrap up
Just like 2016,
2017 was a busy year for technological innovations, especially in the
world of Android. We saw newcomers like Essential and Razer, old players
like Huawei and Vivo grow exponentially, and Samsung’s prowess even
after the Note 7 fiasco.
Just like any other year, we also saw plenty of lawsuits – this time between Qualcomm and electronics manufacturers across the world.
LG finally switched to OLED panels with the V30 this year, Huawei is looking to expand in the US smartphone market,
but most importantly, phones are becoming way too expensive! 2017 saw a
few phones that brazenly crossed the US$1,000 mark, and now, with the
OnePlus 5T costing US$500, I fear it’s only a matter of time before
$1,000 becomes the norm.
What other events, news, and moments would you include? What do
you think 2018 will bring? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
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