Has the Smartphone Plateaued?

TEAM SGG PATREON / somegadgetguy No. The phone has NOT plateaued. It's just something that tech reviewers like to say when their Apple or Samsung videos are nonperforming.
Juan's Phone Photography Book amzn.to/2HqvUCk
SomeGadgetGuy's Gear List
Panasonic G85 amzn.to/2oKNwAm
Panasonic G9 amzn.to/2XU3mLQ
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 amzn.to/39uXahF
Olympus 17mm f/1.8 amzn.to/2StRDxF
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 amzn.to/2LAASjA
RODE Wireless GO II amzn.to/3m2x5Mj
Audio-Technica Lavalier amzn.to/2WywofM
Focusrite 6i6 Audio Interface amzn.to/2p5l7py
Shure SM57 Microphone amzn.to/2oypnLm
Cloudlifter CL1 amzn.to/2oKN9G5
LED Light Panels amzn.to/2oy60ls
AJA U-TAP HDMI amzn.to/2wfprBF
Elgato HD60 S amzn.to/2p95Unu
--------------------------------------
SGGQA Podcast RSS: feeds.feedburne...
SGGQA Podcast on Spotify: open.spotify.c...
SGGQA Podcast Google Play: play.google.co...
SGGQA Podcast iTunes: itunes.apple.c...
SGGQA Podcast on Stitcher: www.stitcher.c...
SGGQA Podcast on PlayerFM: player.fm/seri...
SGGQA Podcast on Archive.org: archive.org/se...
Official site: somegadgetguy.c...
Patreon: / somegadgetguy
Mastodon: techhub.social...
Threads: www.threads.ne...
Twitch: / somegadgetguy
Flickr: www.flickr.com...
Instagram: instragram.com...
Bluesky: bsky.app/profi...
Links on this page may be affiliate links which help support production on this website.

[@jondub81]

I'd like to bring back the Samsung S5, but with today's power. That phone was water resistant, had removable battery, expandable storage, headphone jack, IR blaster, heartrate reader, FM radio chip. It was a phone above all else

[@RockstarRomania]

Except TouchWiz. That was probably the darkest time for Samsung, especially when it came to updates.

[@username-mb2qh]

There is also the Galaxy XCover series which Samsung still makes such as the most recent XCover 7 that came out. Full IP68 rating with a headphone jack, microSD and removable battery.

[@KgzStylez]

😂 Good luck 🤞

[@SicSemperBeats]

@@RockstarRomaniayea Samsungs’ UI before the s7 was terrible

[@RockstarRomania]

@@SicSemperBeats I do remember that since back then I had a J5, and a bit later an A5 2017. Now I'm on a vanilla S23 after rocking my S10+ for almost 3 years.

[@jangkrus]

People saying Phones becoming boring are the same people who wouldn't pay attention to the LG's Sony's and only have iphone on their pockets.

[@eapa37]

RiP in Peace LG 😞

[@josephaquino3095]

Honestly, I think, Samsung also settled. If china phones are all globally available, this might not happen. China phones have been drastically improving, even on foldable market space. I am not sure if Samsung is playing it safe with Apple or they are not really trying to improve their phones drastically.

[@yash_kambli]

LG went in a wrong direction (many of their innovations had very niche use cases) also failed in marketing. Sony is just too expensive with poor software optimisation. Only i wish nokia should launch a successor of nokia 808, mft sensor with a 28mm equi FL and bright variable aperture (F1.4) without caring about camera bump would be hit

[@josir1994]

​​@@josephaquino3095at the market share size of Samsung and Apple, playing safe and making incremental/purely aesthetic changes are the best business strategy. They are basically just making another home appliance.

[@RockstarRomania]

​@@josephaquino3095EVEN if they were available globally, those phones would be bought by people like you and me, techies. Normies prefer the stability (and the brand mindshare) of Apple and Samsung, something that nobody understands, hence this duopoly.

[@LarryAsberryJr]

You can tell Juan genuinely loves this space because of all the thought he dedicated to each point. There's no one better in this space. I can feel the intentionality of his script. 👍🏾 Moreover innovative use of existing tech absolutely moves segments forward. I don't think you even mentioned AR which you continue to support.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

That's the second half of this conversation. With the phone maturing, it should be the "brain" for other experiences. Like putting on glasses or docking into a tablet shell, or becoming the laptop. Phones should be adapting to us more than the other way around.

[@davidburns8113]

What we see now, especially in North America, is monopolistic market calcification that prevents all but the most pedicured and anti-segment cannibalizing features / phones to be released because this market is so locked in due to anti-consumer business practices from carriers and phone manufacturers in the US

[@TheMukaila]

I think the correct term is "mainstream phones have plateaued" All the brands with lower market share are constantly trying new things. But the only two left standing Samsung and Apple have no incentive to do anything really new as long as people "vote with their wallet" as you say.

[@username-mb2qh]

Flagships kinda plateaued on average honestly. They have less features than they used to. I don’t really get why did other smaller brands also follow Apple’s footsteps in removing features like the jack instead of actually leveraging it as a feature like they used to before removing a year later. Apple and to some extent Samsung do it because they figured have enough marketshare and brand loyalty to get away with nickel and diming people.

[@Tsinglung17]

Smartphone has not yet plateaued. Some of those "tech reviewers" have.

[@techierg1862]

Consumers control what companies will give you. Short story I grew up in nyc a bag of chips cost 25 cents and out of the blue companies raised the price to 50 cents or higher consumers got enraged and stopped buying the junk food in about a few months the prices went back to 25 cents cause they lost money they sure listened at that point

[@timothybrown8424]

There’s a lot of truth to this. People always see the media and corporations as the bad guys, when often times, their product or content is dictated by behavioral data. For example, we all want MicroSD cards back, but I don’t personally know too many people who even knew about that feature, let alone care including teenagers and young adults.

[@XieRH1988]

Products like smartphones, CPUs, and graphics cards have annual release cycles where there’s new models every year. In general when it comes to that sort of frequency of releases and updates, it’s easier to get bored sooner as you start to see the changes and new features get increasingly minor and incremental, especially when the product has matured. I've personally also grown really disenfranchised with the direction that smartphones have gone in, as I've witnessed features get removed like the headphone jack, heck the Xperia 1 V that I bought last year had its notification LED removed so now I can't even tell if it's finished charging when plugged in. It's hard for me to get interested any more when features with practical value get removed while the things that get added feel mostly like gimmicks (the most recent of which is the AI fad).

[@Just_Mike64]

Sadly most of the phone content in English is US centric where you have the choice of 3-4 brands. Everywhere else in the world has 20+ brands. Here on my iqoo 12 with 16/512gb snapdragon 8 gen 3 and great cameras (except the selfie video) for less than half the Samsung price. Great video as always keep up the good work 🎉

[@leviandhiro3596]

I wish we had that here in USA

[@xxiamlostxx_dreams_7916]

True..US folks deserve other options like Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo/IQOO too

[@vianhoho19]

Oh for sure. That's why I also follow and take reviews from local reviewers more seriously because they review stuff that are realistically within my personal reach

[@GreatGrandmasterWang]

Your what???

[@BarryJohnson]

This was very well done and it puts a spotlight directly on those that constantly complain about the "smartphone plateu". Also, Samsung Unpacked was the perfect example to highlight how that although a couple of companies have gone with the status quo. it doesn't represent the mass. Great video Juan.

[@amirnaim3675]

I'm still mad about smartphone makers getting rid of the audio jack as if they're dead. If they think USB C is better than an audio jack, put 2 of them then

[@camilstoenescu]

Yes, fortunately. We don't have to reinvent the wheel every 2-3 years, change for the sake of change. Take a look at the automotive industry with all the "innovations" for the cars' interior: screens upon screens, shitty touch controls instead of real buttons, essentials functions being burried in menus, an ergonomics nightmare.

[@bassandtrebleclef]

Plateauing isn't bad. It gives customers more choice as to what feature set we're willing to pay more for, since phones are basically interchangeable. The delta between a $500 and a $1000 phone isn't that much anymore. Customer wins. It's not unlike buying a washer/dryer. They all do the same thing, have the same issues, so why fork over $3000 when $1500 gets me what I need. Customer wins.

[@a1000island]

I constantly watch phone reviews. Then one day i said to myself what do i mainly use my phones for I had to realize all i do is watch KZbin Get what you need people not what you want

[@Guuzaka]

First thing I want to say is thanks for doing this in 60FPS for a change. 😅 I do suggest that future videos to the channel are at least uploaded in 1080p60FPs. 😅 And yes, I certainly agree with the main message of this video: people should not look at Apple and Samsung's underperformance as an indicator of where smartphones are going. 🚫🍎 As you have plainly said, there are lots of cool innovative things that happen outside of Samsung and Apple. 🌠📱

[@hotrodhunk7389]

My note 9 was perfect. I'd still be rocking it if my wife didn't get me the 22 ultra. Battery was getting a bit weak but still usable. I'll get one when a good folding phone comes out.

[@nufsioohay]

Dude same! Still using my Note 9. I don't understand why people do not want to have a Swiss army knife of a phone.

[@rhaibi12]

There's quite a few excellent folding phones out already.

[@UnAssimilated1]

Note series was amazing, never was interested in Samsung after that. Foldable are nice, they are just not worth the price to me, but they are NICE!

[@hotrodhunk7389]

@@nufsioohay you look like a pro when the boss is blabbing about 100 details and you whip out your note and just start writing it down. Later on everyone forgets what was said... Sometimes I tell them what I know... Sometimes I don't... They should take notes 😂🤣😂

[@hotrodhunk7389]

@@rhaibi12 true. Just not quite there yet. By the time I'm ready for my next phone. My dream since I was 12 has always been a computer that's in a contact lens or glasses. We're getting close!

[@olivermorning4945]

I think any high end phone from 2020 would still run great for 4 to 5 years for regular folks. Currently over a year and a half in with my ROG 5s 512gb and I am still loving it. Everything is great even the camera is still decent, 4k60fps from the main sensor with plenty of storage to use. My only slight excitement is the 7 years of update, not the AI soon to be a subscription. My iPhone Xs still run great and I hope Android can do that longevity too

[@Undeaddeaths]

I'm still using a Pixel 4a, and it works great. The only issue I have is battery life, as the battery health is at 65%. If I could easily replace the battery I would keep it. With that said I have pre-ordered the oneplus 12.

[@deans-rewind2882]

​@Undeaddeaths do you not have a repair store near you?

[@amirulaiman8673]

even as a consumer, I think smartphones have very much plateaued lately. Still using my Galaxy Note10+ for almost 5 yrs and didn't find the need to upgrade, idk I just think that the upgrades of the "successors" to the Note10+ just isn't substantial enough or make me go "I need that upgrade .", having the S24 Ultra in my hand made me felt like I'm using the same phone and I haven't upgraded at all and day to day usage feels similar too. This Note10+ very much still serves me well and probs won't upgrade until I break my phone. Perhaps I should go back to trying Sony phones or get a foldable next.

[@twinfolktech]

Dude you should really upgrade your phone if it is five years old. All of your personal information is at risk because that phone is no longer getting security patches

[@DJSH98989]

​@@twinfolktech100% agree even though I love the note10 plus

[@pandevera2244]

let's rephrase that... your "use cases on smartphones have very much plateuaed lately" that is not necessarily bad... but smartphones released after that has capabilities and features that satisfy needs of other users...

[@billiamnotbob]

From my perspective, we've lost our sense of wonder at what these companies have accomplished. I haven't as I grew up long before this Tech explosion. No cell phones, much less smart phones. No computers at home, school, the libraries or anyplace else for everyone. I'm still amazed at what can be done and am very appreciative of the accomplishments.

[@floppa9415]

6:52 This was 100% me. Getting my first Smartphone a Galaxy Ace, this was something I constantly did for fun. Scroll around one homescreen, flick through menus, play with the unlock animation, and especially installing any random app or game from the Android market.

[@majestikmoose9]

I'm sure I've said this before, but thank you Juan for consistently being one of the most thoughtful voices in the mobile tech space. I truly appreciate your perspective!

[@thatdude7170]

At this point, most mainstream reviewers are just Samsung and Apple apologists. Samsung and Apple basically release the same phone every year with a new chipset and a few software features (which are kept exclusive to their newest phones despite all the grand promises about software updates), and then reviewers rave about how their totally unchanged phone are the best thing since sliced bread and their flaws (such as their dinosaur era charging solutions) don't matter a bit. And then even more annoyingly, when they finally implement something that has existed in other phones for years, they make a big deal out of it, such as 4k 120fps on S24 Ultra, which was praised as a great feature on S24 ultra, but mostly neglected when implemented and perfected to much higher standards on older phones (such as Xperias and the Nubias that do it on all their rear cameras).

[@farishanafiah8461]

That's why I don't watch large popular channels anymore. I learn way more from small indie creators like Juan.

[@Sabundy]

Agree 100%

[@totoabicyclette7100]

Let's be honest, here: "plateaud" means "boring". Smartphones are boring and slowly joining the other boring stuff we have to cope with every day: fridges, cars and coffee machines. And phone companies hate, hate, hate that idea. "Good enough" is pure evil to them. "More than I need" is a catastrophy. Long live the Note 10+!

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

If folks think they're boring, they should say boring. But they can't say that after a Samsung launch either.

[@blinblinthing]

Very good points Juan - ALot of reviewers will lazily claim the average user a. won't miss out on having this nice android feature or advancement and then b. simultaneously praise apple's best processor on some benchmark or do a speed test 2 seconds faster. c. focus on just about the most expensive offering as an objective recommendation.

[@leroycustis3549]

I think it would be cool if engineers names became well known. A purchase would be less about brand shopping if we informed the masses on why a specific engineering team might deserve loyalty for putting together a product we value. Instead of the blind support for a company we see today

[@Markus56165]

This is such a great video. Thank you so much for being so diligent and unafraid of publicly having conversations like this. This is exactly the type of video that people need to share. The current review model is what has plateaued, not the smartphone industry. Reviewers need to reevaluate why they got into reviewing and what's truly important to friends, family, and consumers. If more reviewers start changing their process and actually having the discussions that matter, that in itself will drive innovation. The hardware wars are over. Every manufacturer has the same access and skill to build amazing products. It's about what choices do manufacturers make when deciding what to add or take away? How are they trying to differentiate themselves from others in a meaningful way?How does the software and features interface and intertwine with the hardware? AI is and will be great, but I don't think that should be the only and or most important focus. We all deserve better. I don't think consumers can drive change with their pockets in any real meaningful way because we've been trained and become accustomed to the current cycle. I think it's up to reviewers to start these conversations that wake up the minds of consumers and manufacturers which, hopefully... Will drive the change we all need and deserve.

[@midnitestate]

I was trying to find the article, but recently one of the heads of Samsung voice his disappointment in the lack of innovation with recent Samsung products. When you have one of the major companies even recognizing that they're really not doing much to move the space forward, that really says a lot. It would be nice to see more of an all-in-one device encompassing all that we can do for us back to 1 product. Unfortunately I have a feeling that apple is going to try to push that with the Vision Pro and try to make it seem like it can do everything while chargeing people an arm and a leg for it. But the advancement of arm development has been very impressive and is making devices extremely powerful and can potentially be a lot more versatile, but it's going to come down to the manufacturers to actually utilize all that power and tech

[@Sabundy]

Looks like the Apple Vision Pro is a failure. Might end up being one of Apples biggest failures in its history

[@Cr1ScroSSsPinnin]

Hey man, there's actually a company that offers removable batteries in a modern package - fairphone which is available here in Europe. I'm 100% behind you though, I'm a tech head and also work in IT with data center level technology and my main goal for the near future is to have one device that does it all! In fact I'm in the middle of creating a janky diy solution 😅

[@xmlthegreat]

In my opinion, if you were to use the average user as a measure, Smartphones basically plateaued in 2014, and the only real interesting innovation since then has been foldables (and LG's experiments before then). Everything else has been just iteration and refinement. The Galaxy S5 was probably the platonic ideal of a smartphone, a tightly integrated device and sensor platform that you could interface with to carry out a wide range of tasks. The only reason to upgrade has been that apps no longer run on older devices.

[@davegillespie3948]

And in one video Juan sums up the current state of the smartphone industry. Great stuff and 100% agree

[@jrod8574]

Maybe phone manufacturers should bring back the headphone jack and expandable storage space again to spice things up. Ofcourse they'll call those features lol. Imagine if these new Samsung phones out right now ALSO included the headphone jack and expandable storage space on top of their new cameras and current technology. Wow what a complete device they'd be. Imagine if Google added the headphone jack back permanently on ALL of their premium and A tier phones and for the first time ever, micro SD card support.😮

[@northborneo]

and HiFi quality DAC, like the LG V60 which ticked all the boxes above. 😅

[@timothybrown8424]

I don’t see that happening because wireless earphones are making these companies some good money and a lot of people(especially younger people) don’t like dealing with wires.

[@jrod8574]

Oh yeah ofcourse! That goes without saying. When I mention a headphone jack I'm particularly mentioning and expecting a hifi quad dac. Its why I still use phones with that feature.

[@jrod8574]

I refuse to use phones without the features I like.

[@DJSH98989]

What's funny is 5yrs ago we had all of those so called features and the price was less. Anyone remember the s10 plus 1tb, heart rate monitor, SD card, headphone jack beautiful screen, MST and so on. Also the price was the same as a s24 ultra 1tb that doesn't have hardly any of that

[@FriscoFlame]

So this is a video about the reasons I'm a patron to you. Because you're out here talking about the other phones. The other options available. And I think your tiktok comment was on the money, if you showed how well a video could edit and get something up to TikTok that is a huge feature. I'm thinking in the next month or two I'm just going to bite the bullet and pay full price and get myself an Experia because it has all the features I wanted except an IR blaster and as much as I like my Google pixel, I'm tired of running out of storage every time I try to shoot video

[@donwilliams6266]

50% of reviewers are below average...but NOT you Juan. Ha, great work. Thanks, Keep it up.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I feel Im in good company with my main audience 😊

[@Cameri760]

Just watched Saf and boredatwork try to defend Samsung for not including the charger in the box. Absolute shills.

[@DeafTourette]

This video is why i like Juan more than the other guys

[@movedmindpoRUSZonyUMYS]

Amen, brother. You're one of the most sensible, educated and simply smart folks doing this. Kudos to you and keep up the excellent work 💪

[@GroundedTech]

Indeed. Totally plateaued. Can't get anything better in any area over a SamApple.

[@Jiroxys25]

I feel like we got spoiled for innovation during the years of pushing the screen to the edges, killing the home button, and fighting notch vs holepunch. You can see some imagination in the folding space.... For way more money than I could justify spending. But even saying that, I'm considering picking up an ROG phone just because they don't look like sam/apple/1+/sony/everything else I've seen

[@coolpoete]

Juan "The Rebel" Bagnell! lol! Great conversation sir! Such necessary and relevant themes throughout. As I get older the need for me to have the top tier devices is lessening and I'm holding on to the previous year's model longer.

[@2011joser]

Points well made Juan. The “plateau” is self inflicted by both the manufacturers and the consumers. I believe for the higher end phones, carrier avaliability is a big part of the problem. Carrier financed purchases probably make up the bulk of purchases and most will just go with the best Iphone or Samsung they can get since they are all basically pretty good at everything. The last phone that exited me enough to go outside my carrier’s lineup was the HTC 10. I paid HTC the full $699 asking price because the phone stood out from the others and performed so well in the areas that interest me. Every other purchase since has been whatever phone in my carrier’s lineup has the best bluetooth streaming.

[@BrianGlaze]

That conversation about the manufacturers being willing to step on their other product's toes is important. Its better for the consumer if you let the product do all that it is capable of doing so that you meet the needs of everyone at that price range. I study PR in grad school right now, and from that persepctive, that would be the best thing to do for a long term relationship standpoint. Sure, if you limit people right now and protect products, youll get some short term monetary benefit, but youll hurt trust with your intended audience in the long run and ultimately youll start to hear the refrain that the premise of Juan's video is addressing from the tech community: "X tech has plateaud, and its not worth getting anything new".

[@Rezzzn0r]

Hi man, thanks to you I am using my s21 ultra as my home desktop. I knew there is an option like that but your video some time ago convinced me that I don't need to buy a PC when mine notebook broke. Cheers bro!

[@SicSemperBeats]

In terms of features, yes. In terms of consistency in usage no, not at all. I can’t speak for androids because i run my iphones WAY harder (imessage, facetime, maps). I’ve always had the most modern iphone, and they’re always really really easy to overheat or you witness hitches glitches when performing intensive and non intensive tasks. For less experienced people a lot of people see this is as means for an upgrade,

[@NoMoreLiesOrDeception]

Excellent video as always, personally as a older man who does very little with his phone (no video shot or editing for example) outside of basic functions i would really enjoy it if my battery didn't nose dive every time I hotspot, surely they (all phone companies) could do something to improve the difference in performance. Great video as always and as ever enjoy hearing your pov Juan .

[@dustintroydeguzman5411]

Its not the Smartphone that plateaued, its the Tech Reviewers who can only praise SamApple. Its why I only watch a select few Tech Reviewers now a days. A good one can properly review a tech without the need to compare it to SamApple. I've seen a lot of them specially on the west and they tend to collab or shout out with each other. Rarely do they speak about other products unless the company sponsored them. They act as if they know what an Average Consumer wants but let me tell you Juan, yours is a more accurate representation. Average consumers would indeed use their phones as a pc alternatives as well. Not all consumers are the same, we cannot always have the best of both worlds. A few can afford the latest most expensive Phones, Laptops, etc., most would opt for alternatives that can get the job done without too much of a compromise. Then there are those who has to choose and prioritise and a phone actually helps bridge that gap.

[@battlegroundone]

yes they've plateau'd you guys keep going for the banana in the tail pipe. all the talk is about the camera. we now have lossless audio in the headset market. but the phones don't have the chip. but asus and Sony's have the chip. it's the reviewers that have let us down. the average consumer probably listens to way more music than take photos.

[@rlnash0123]

This was a very refreshing perspective and something that is sorely missing in the "tech" space. We appreciate your genuine honest perspectives that push the narrative forward for those of us that truly enjoy the genuine tech space. Thank you! I do agree with most of your points but the average consumer will continue to be led along by what the major companies push forward which will continue to allow these companies to stand pat with the way that they are providing marginal updates to their devices and taking away useful tech. Those of us that want to see things improve won't win out because we aren't their primary audience or customer. I think this is the issue that can't be fixed in the long term.

[@newaccount5754]

I wasn't aware of this "smartphones had plateaued" thing, but I totally agreed with your insights. However, we all know that these tech giants will always try to squeeze as much profit as possible to their products. Coz everything is just business. The same goes with social media platforms, they serve as the company while tech reviewers and content creators were the employees and everyone is just doing it all for the money.

[@monicapatel9372]

This video made me nostalgic for my first smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4. It had a removable battery, headphone jack, IR blaster, and removable storage. I would happily trade AI to get all those features back.

[@Loanshark753]

Gaming phones often have two usb-c ports and often a cooling fan as well and often come bundled with an external tech cooler that decreases thermal throtling. I hope mainstream phones get cooling fans as well and replaceable batteries.

[@GodfreyLisk]

Whenever I feel myself getting jaded and falling into the marketing trap, I know I can count on you to set me straight. Thanks Juan

[@moshell5249]

Some key features that honestly should be there by default: - swappable battery - headphone jack with built in DAC - expandable storage A backup battery helps with anxiety when out and prolongs the phone's life, wired hi res audio is key as some people dont want wireless with the health hazards and drop in quality it brings, and expandable storage is good to have whether its used or not. All in all these have positive environmental impact as well

[@pandevera2244]

afaik... all smartphones have dac... they just differ in quality... even the built-in ones from qualcomm are already excellent in delivering hifi audio...

[@moshell5249]

With most of today's phones, the only way to get wired audio out via usb c is to use an active dongle with a built in DAC. And it's more than just the DAC but the way it's implemented including the driver optimizations that enable apps like USB Audio Player Pro to bypass Android resampling and actually play music in its purest hi-res format.

[@chamorvenigo]

Regarding "average", we can also expand the criticism into bell-curve distribution. One time, I'd gotten a bit curious about the natural-ness of the bell-curve distribution. To my surprise, it almost never occurred outside of theoretical confine. Population height distribution? Plenty of factors. Plenty of outliers. Population height of soldier population? Influenced by recruitment min height requirement. Also, plenty of additional factors. Scores in an exam? More like the exam was designed to produce that result in the first place. There are many more that I cannot remembered, plus factors that gives a distribution its shape. Basically, anything that your school book says followed the bell-curve distribution naturally probably doesn't followed it naturally.

[@loissherman1336]

The days a year over year massive improvements have been gone for awhile now. In the 2010s phones were advancing at a much more noticeable rate. Now they've been refined to the point where most look more or less the same and a phone from 3 years ago isn't all that different from what's newest. Also, the US is garbage for phone options. Such a lack of options with Samsung and Apple dominanting the space and carriers pushing those brands.

[@calm-men6957]

We all thought phones plateaued back in pre-2007. Then the iphone came out. Phones will never plateau, it will always find new ways to evolve. Be it folding phones, software, camera hardware.

[@chickenandshrimp1338]

Absolutely. They are no longer the shiny star in hand. Ipods went through the same phase. The only difference is that smartphones are a communication device. It's the only reason why we still use them. We need removable batteries, headphone jacks, and micro SD back. Where the user had total control and not the company.

[@bobnelsonfr]

Good video. A modern phone - not necessarily top-of-the-line - is a decent camera, e-reader, mp3 player, ... So YES! The next step MUST be to let us use these powerful devices as desktop computers. A $20 hub should be adequate... but then there's the OS. Maybe ChromeOS on a phone? Windows-on-ARM? As you say, the power is there.

[@uview1]

Freakin Threads? Cmon!

[@mehdimido5270]

I totally forgot that Threads still exist! i agree that the phones "average consumers" buys are boring, a tool can have fun features and beautiful designs (anyone remembers the Xperia illumination bar?)

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

Juan, once again, you have touched on something that I've always wanted and other things I've always thought. I've always wanted to only have one device ever since my days on Windows mobile 5. I struggled to get a smartphone years ago as a teen because of what I perceived at the time as my mom hogging the computer. She was really regulating our computer use. Anyway, I didn't care about that and I got myself a smartphone and was able to start writing a paper while on the way home on the bus. Through apps like kinoma player I could watch KZbin videos, Skyfire enabled me to watch any video. I could plug up a folding keyboard to my Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices and comfortably create word docs. Fast forward to today and how are we still not there yet despite having way more horsepower than any laptop back in 2005? I definitely shouldn't have to buy an overpriced Samsung top of the line device to have something like dex. Aren't phones more powerful than the Nintendo switch right now? Why does mobile gaming still kinda sorta suck? Is there anything as good as dead space mobile or Shadowgun today? The productivity apps are also still a watered down. The phones haven't plateaued. Instead, software development has gotten stagnant. You're absolutely correct. And what's up with so many manufacturers sticking to USB 2.0? It does not cost that much. There must be other reasons and I think you're correct here as well. Manufacturers such as Apple are happy enough to sell you 2, 3 or even 4 devices. An iPhone can cost well over a thousand USD and has more processing power than most people need yet they prevent it from being more useful. The iPads still can't run proper IDEs because they want you to also buy a Mac of some sort. This is ridiculous and as can be seen from HP's bricking of printers recently, money is the ONLY thing that matters to these companies and they will handicap their devices if they can make more money.

[@markgardner42]

Thank you Juan! You are a gem and you have always been refreshing in this space. Especially in a world of yes men. Don't ever change. Also, I'd love to see a company like LG or HTC come out with a smartphone with all of the tech features that we loved from the past (IR blaster, headphone jack, expandable memory, etc), but with today's processors and camera sensors and software. With today's modern operating systems with AI. With today's top display technology. With a similar cooling system as a gaming phone or even the OnePlus 12 cooling system. Also, with fast charging technology similar to the OnePlus 12, with a long-lasting battery. That would be great..... But I'm sure people would ignore it, reviewers outside of you and J. Williams would find reasons to trash it. SMH

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

What I wouldn't give for a classic like the V20 or M8 to return with modem guts... Sigh ...

[@markgardner42]

@@SomeGadgetGuy several years ago I was a part of the development team at HTC and I suggested coming out with a "retro" M8, but with modern specs. I was told that was a stupid idea. This was during the time that retro style automobiles were becoming popular (Camaro, mustang, etc)

[@redpanda3686]

We genuinely need like a backbone battery pack bypass so that phones internal batteries don't charge while they're gaming. And maybe like a full Chrome OS desktop environment when docked, because the hardware is literally right in our hands.

[@SDavison]

Yes. A long time ago. The hardware, software, and the coverage. ie; everyone still looks toward apple for "what's new". 🙄 And for whatever it's worth, the average consumer doesn't watch "tech reviewers". Hell, most of them have no idea what their phones are fully capable of.

[@selloutlabel]

Bring back HTC powerhouse flagships aka Droid, LG creativity aka V60 or wing and Sidekick quirkiness aka Flip or spin screens and physical full keyboards

[@Micah-Woods]

Definitely a worthy question! I think phones have plateaued up until this year with AI bringing something new to the phone table. I think flip/foldable variants will also bring hype back for sure. We need bold chance-taking from OEMs back in the smartphone market!

[@UnAssimilated1]

Red Magic 9 Pro is fun, I would not recommend it to anyone for normal use (bad cameras, not water resistant, lousy software support etc) but I've been enjoying my time with it, just love the design

[@BodegaCat90]

I miss the days of HTC

[@mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056]

Honestly, I see no issue when smartphones plateau in general. Gives me an easier choice of which phone to pick once I decide to upgrade.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I mean it would if there werent significant differences between phone brands.

[@dmanjra]

Time for a Sidekick 5g to make an entrance.

[@KennyLarson]

The point of your phone as your desktop computer is especially important. I've been daily driving my Moto g100 as my main desktop computer for nearly 3 years now. It is totally possible and for 90% of people entirely sufficient. Especially when you pair it with a cloud desktop solution for the very few times you need an x86 machine.

[@timothybrown8424]

Until they have something new that we aren’t aware of, AI is going to be the focal point. Luckily, the folding form factor will continue to get improved on as well. But I also believe that the general public isn’t looking for a new phone all the time like before. I still see a number of people with Samsung Notes and iPhone Xs. So that will definitely push companies to either stand out from the pack and/or simply scale down.

[@OliverLundström-v8b]

A great message to the public. If only this video would reach more people/ tech nerds!

[@justiceforall1288]

You're right... "There's no good reason why a phone today couldn't be someone's home computer kr laptop." Facts‼️🫵🏾🧔🏾‍♂️ 💯‼️👍🏾👍🏾

[@skylerreed3879]

I have to say, I miss the best of times phones. Like sd memory, replaceable batteries, IR controls, and external audio ports. So there is definately opportunities to improve on the current crap.

[@danijelujcic8644]

My biggest wish is actually something that will never happen (OK, Sony did it, but it was a series of pocket cameras). A super thicc phone with a single periscope that covers a 15-120 mm (FF equivalent) mm range. 80 MP (10240 × 7680). No quad Bayer. An optional 20 MP crop to stretch those 120 mm to 240 mm. With uncompressed PCM audio. An FHD display but NO PenTile. Lots of space for good passive cooling. An "over 9000" mAh battery. An audio jack. A microSD slot. A single 16/512 GB SKU. Aaaand that's it. I think.

[@user02350]

Some of this feels like a direct response to MKBHD not taking the time of day to review the OnePlus 12. If it isn't, it certainly fits what's being talked about here. Like a lot of people, I was disappointed to hear he wasn't going to film one.

[@JamesRussoMillas]

Android phone variety and value in the 600-1000 dollar segment is at an all time high, but when you're on Verizon you basically have 4 phones you can buy: iPhone, Samsung, OnePlus, and Pixel. Rip.

[@a1000island]

What are they forcing you to be over there? If you leave they take your left knee cap?

[@JamesRussoMillas]

@@a1000island the best coverage in my area for sure

[@JamesRussoMillas]

@@a1000island good service

[@jacobdrj101]

Folks got legitimately upset with me over calling out relative slow charging for Samsung flagships... We have lost so many features in the last 11 or so years... And when you iterate a design that was stripped of so many features that a thermometer on a Pixel is considered a "gimmick"... Sigh... Phones are commodities at this point... That's ok... Just wish there was some competi on stuff I care about...

[@GTRxMan]

Phones most definitely have plateaued. There isn't any meaningful difference in chip performance from year to year and most phones have quite competent cameras. It's a very different landscape from when the original iPhone and Androids were released. People used to be excited about the new Apple offerings but now very few care.

[@farishanafiah8461]

If you only stick to popular brands, that is. Go outside Samsung and Apple, and you can see just how many worthy alternatives out there worth considering.

[@GTRxMan]

​@@farishanafiah8461It doesn't matter which brand - Apple, Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Nothing or any of the multitude of Chinese offerings. The technology has slowed to the point where there isn't a meaningful difference with each new model year. Phones used to be cutting-edge and now they've become commoditized.

[@blackduncan9812]

I would love 2 usb ports. Omg I forgot about that on one of the rog phones. That would be fantastic. I still want my headphones jack but unfortunately the lg v60 has soiled me and my xperia 1v isn't doing it for me 😂😂😂 I'm not a audiophile I swear

[@farishanafiah8461]

LG's built-in Quad DAC is hard to beat, even if you aren't a true expert in audio. LG has great things on their phones but spoiled by large popular sellouts (I'm looking at you, MKBHD and Mrwhosetheboss).

[@chubbyjohnson5480]

I think it's time consumers make their voices heard. I bought the OnePlus 12 this year simply because they brought back the IR blaster and still provide a charging brick. Those were the main reasons. I'm not supporting Samsung going cheap, any longer. I applaud the EU for trying to mandate removable batteries. That's far more environmentally conscious than omitting a charger with your phone.

[@Louis1059]

I'd still be using my OnePlus 7 pro if I hadn't cracked the screen. Made it 4 and a half years.

[@ahmadfodeh3413]

It is really frustrating, back in the day, I used to get EXTREMELY excited year on year with new phones, I used to change my phone yearly or every other year, because it was alot of new stuff/design/features/differences, now I upgrade my phone every 5 years, yes five, and recently I got an Xperia 1V because it's the only phone that's unique, after my XZ3 screen was shattered. Those "tech reviewers" killed LG, HTC, Nokia (as we used to know it), and now are killing Sony and Oneplus, Specially Sony, it seems it doesn't matter what Sony does and no matter how good the phone is, it's never even on par with Samsung and Apple... We know that they get early access to give good reviews and I will never believe anything I hear from those channels...

[@dextercumberbatch4334]

If the manufacturers leaned into the pocket computing aspect of these phones we could see some great innovation.

[@AntonioCunningham]

I'm not gona lie, I immediately start clapping when you suggested a phone have more than one USB C port. Why? Because every phone upgrade I've had since USB C became the standard was soley because the Type C port failed. I *never* had this problem with mini or micro USB. If I had two ports, my phones would last much longer. I mean I kept my LG G5 longer than other phones because the port was swapable. (I really like the LG G5)

[@Angel-HC]

How many years did you get before a port typically failed? I've personally found that the reliability of a USB C port can depend a lot on the quality of the cable you use. USB C also has the disadvantage of having to house a lot more pins which can make the possibility of them getting loose more likely.

[@AntonioCunningham]

@@Angel-HC before my current LG Wing, I never had a port that lasted longer than 18 months. They start to fail one year after ownership, but by 18 months, the port can only do very slow charging speeds....if it even does charge at all.

[@LgnShorty]

What a great video. I have not heard such true words spoken on KZbin in a long time . I am a user of Xperia phones as they offer what I want and need . I had to import my Xperia 1 VI. I will be using this phone for a long time I am working to learn more ways to use this device

[@RockstarRomania]

Though to be fair, MWC may be pretty interesting, since it's touted for the launches of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Sony's Xperia 1 VI, 5, VI, 10 VI and Pro-I II.

[@corey7219]

Still using my s20fe after almost buying the s24u and realized i didn't have enough money to buy the phone outright. Can't finance the phone from Samsung either

[@imprintz]

Great discussion, Oneplus stepped up their game this year. Canceled my S24U preorder for the OP12. Just cant beat that deal

[@dante19890]

there is a lot of improvements still to be made in battery life and chip efficiency

[@glynemartin]

Well thought out commentary. Good job...

[@shirakawanaoya]

Chinese phones are doing insanely interesting camera lenses and processing but we are still seeing the same safe phones stateside. They definitely havent plateaud.

[@Techdash.]

Loved this Juan!

[@WesJamison]

I was just thinking the same thing. The physical smart phone is getting old. The biggest adjustment is going to software and its privacy rights.

[@RXBannedit]

I know you said you don't want to argue the semantics of "plateau," but the fact is, there's nowhere to go from here (at least with this form factor), beyond slight, consistent iteration. Everything you mentioned that companies COULD (and should) do is just the re-introduction of long-existing features. The spec sheets, however, can only get so good, and in most cases, already have. No one will care about an 8k, 500hz display. No one will care about 128 gigs of RAM. No one will care about some slightly better computational photography. And that's because all the things we already have, at least at the top of the current line, are just about as good as practically necessary. Everything you said about content creators and their knee-jerk reaction to perceived lack of interest is true, as is the fact that manufacturers purposefully withhold features for future use. The simple fact is though, the iPhone 15s and Galaxy S24s of the world are barely "better" than the 13s and 22s, and the 18s and 27s will be barely "better" still. No black slab will ever give me the excitement that my first Sidekick or Blackberry Curve did, and I'm not sure there's anything anyone could add that would change that. Yes, smartphones could (and should) be better in myriad ways, but they're simultaneously the best they're ever gonna be. Semantics aside, yet another great, thoughtful video. This is why you're one of the only Tech Channels I truly respect. Keep up the amazing work.

[@sephiroth81]

love your content!!! It's funny, if there were an "avg consumer" they would probably prefer the OP12 due to battery performance alone vs a Samsung. I can't wait to turn in my S22+, this thing takes forever to charge and I have to plug in 2x a day.

[@zapdosmtr4961]

Samsung peaked at S21 and the S24 proved it! Looking forward to the Pixel 9 and hoping on a Ultrasonic FP scanner.

[@HLB2512]

95% of people I know have an iPhone in the UK. U r right, let's be honest the big big company do the bare minimum each year to their phones, with very little change. IV been on iPhone forever until last year I went over to nothing phone 2, this was because I was fed up with apple it's the same every year, nothing is completely different and not holding back on design or where they want to be in the future.

[@alexthehammer9282]

The smartphone companies doesn't offer good enough for the price yet

[@bigjust9607]

Most companies settle into what will grab them a bigger share of the market. We have seen what happens when they listen to their consumers (remember LG ) they actively tried to please their consumers to the point of not existing.

[@SilvioBritto]

I still miss LG, they launched so much bold and innovative phones. Damn, I still miss Palm. About gaming, it's a bubble. I don't play at my phone, and I don't know anyone that do it, for example. And I've lived over 4 big cities only in 2023. It's niche. (But I know people that regularly play in notebooks and PCs). To me smartphones video games follow the logic of "glass is premium": they both look good on the marketing campaign and at the store's shelves.