Everything changed in 2020. With COVID-19, a large part of the world’s population was forced to quarantine in the hope of preventing the spread of the virus. This led us to rely much more on video calls and social media than before. Our phones have helped to keep us connected, entertained and distracted from the relative horrors of the world around us. Fortunately, mobile technology has kept innovation at an accelerated pace throughout the year, despite the hell of 2020. Phone manufacturers have not lost the ball. In fact, many have crossed the line like never before.
With the year finally (finally!) Coming to an end, it’s time to look ahead. Here’s what to expect from smartphones throughout 2021.
See too: 7 smartphone trends that should really stop in 2021
Affordable folding
Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Folding phones are still a nascent product category. We saw three major efforts during 2020, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Flip 5G, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Motorola Razr 5G. Each of these phones had strengths and weaknesses, although we really liked the Z Fold 2. If there is a common trait for the foldable phone category, however, it is the exorbitant price. The Z Flip and Razr 5G cost over $ 1,400, and the Z Fold 2 costs a whopping $ 1,980. Clearly, the 2020 foldables were not mass-consuming devices.
As we move forward in 2021, it is fair to expect folding to become more accessible. This does not mean that they will be cheap. You can expect phones like the Z Fold 2 to keep their prices at $ 2,000. Instead, what we will see are new efforts that fall at the upper end of the middle tier, with prices in the range of $ 800 to $ 1,000.
Related: The best foldable phones you can get
“While most rivals are working on their first folding phones, either flipped or running, Samsung is preparing its third generation foldables and promising to lower prices,” said Avi Greengart, Techsponential’s president and lead analyst. “More accessible options will help to clarify how much consumers want their phones to change shape. Microsoft is also worth watching as it learns from its first-generation Surface Duo, and LG seems especially inclined to experiment. “
5G across the board
Samsung was the first major phone manufacturer to add 5G to its entire line of top-of-the-line handsets and also much of its mid-range. The entire Galaxy S20 series had 5G on board – and the high price to match. Later, Samsung brought 5G to its most affordable devices, including the Galaxy A71 and Galaxy S20 FE. Apple, Google, Nokia and others followed suit, as did other manufacturers. At the end of 2020, we started to see 5G adoption really take off.
For 2021, it is clear that more phones than ever will have 5G. We can thank Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 700 series chipsets for bringing the new standard of connectivity to the mid-range. We should therefore expect that most mid-range phones will have 5G on board next year. What is not yet clear is how far the 5G product map will fall. Google already offers really affordable 5G phones, like the Pixel 4a 5G. Will we see 5G on phones below the $ 399 price tag? It’s possible.
Read More: Here’s what’s next for 5G in 2021
5G will also be much faster. While mmWave 5G impresses with its raw performance, its limited availability means that most people are navigating at slower mid-band 5G.
“The phones that integrate Qualcomm’s X60 modem will deliver significantly faster sub-6 5G speeds as they allow for more flexibility by combining frequency bands,” said Greengart. “In the United States, the impact will be largely confined to the T-Mobile network in 2021 until the winners of the government’s medium-sized auction are able to build it. In the second half of 2021, if the pandemic subsides, we can also begin to see real-world use cases for mmWave 5G in crowded areas and stadiums. “
Quick views (er)
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
If there was a trend we saw in 2020 that we like, it was the proliferation of fast displays. Leading phone manufacturers have increased their screen refresh rates from 60 Hz to 90 Hz, 120 Hz and up to 144 Hz. Faster refresh rates offer a smoother experience, especially when scrolling or playing. They are found on phones like the ROG Phone 3 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
We fully believe that high refresh rate screens will become the norm in 2021. For example, leaks suggest that cheap Redmi phones will have 120 Hz screens. More specifically, MediaTek’s Dimensity 700 chip series supports 90Hz. This will bring fast screens to cheaper devices.
(Hopefully, Apple will notice the trend and adopt faster screens as well.)
Cameras below the screen
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
ZTE introduced the first phone with a camera under the display in 2020, the Axon 20 5G. This totally new technology relies on transparent layers to allow a camera to take pictures across a screen. The idea is to hide the camera in order to lose the notch or hole design, creating a more uniform screen experience. See how the camera works under the display.
It is a solid bet that more phones with hidden cameras are on the way.
Xiaomi was one of the first phone makers to claim that it will adopt screen camera technology. However, you can be sure that Xiaomi and ZTE will not be alone. While we no longer have commitments from other phone manufacturers, and the technology of on-screen cameras is not perfect, we can bet that more phones with hidden cameras are on the way.
8K recording proliferates
Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
If there is a trend that is probably obvious to you now, it is that we expect the features found mainly in high-end phones in 2020 to reach phones with lower price ranges in 2021. This applies to 8K video capture.
We saw 8K video capture come into the spotlight with devices like the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S20 series in early 2020. The feature came later for the LG V60 ThinQ and a number of other flagships over of the year. The good news is that a wider range of chips supports 8K video capture today, which means that the feature will proliferate across a wider range of price ranges. More specifically, now that 8K television sets are (almost) accessible, there will be a place to actually watch 8K footage.
Augmented reality dominates reality
It is easy to overturn augmented reality. At the moment, Apple and Google appear to be the only companies really interested in the technology. Apple continues to update its ARKit developer tools and launch AR-compatible hardware. That is not what we are talking about.
“Qualcomm has invested heavily in AR and VR functionality, and its chips can be found in almost every standalone VR system on the market,” noted Greengart. “Thanks to Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2, virtual reality appears to be ready to become popular, but mainly as a gaming platform.” If you have been paying attention to your television set, you have probably seen pressure from Oculus to get consumers’ attention with dramatic commercials.
In 2021, we will see headsets that connect to Snapdragon-based phones.
However, “AR has a much broader potential,” suggests Greengart. “In 2021, we will see headsets that connect to Snapdragon-based phones leave the labs and reach the shelves. Apple is working on its own AR glasses; if history serves as a guide, Apple will be left out of the first round of solutions next year and will define the market on its own terms later. “
What smartphone trends do you think we will see in 2021? Let us know in the comments.