What will smartphones look like in 2018

From increasingly powerful batteries to wireless charging, here are the features we’ll see in smartphones coming out in 2018

What should we expect from the world of telephony in 2018? The big hi-tech companies are already at work on the smartphones coming out next year. After a 2017 that brought with it many innovations (border-less design, i.e. with very thin bezels, and screen with 18:9 aspect ratio), 2018 could be a year of transition to another big change: foldable smartphones.

From the rumors leaking from the labs where the smartphones coming out in 2018 are made, companies are working on space optimization. After introducing a narrower and longer display, they are looking to further reduce the edges in order to increase the screen size. Apple is rumored to be working on a new iPhone with a 6.5-inch screen with an extreme design. And other companies are also experimenting with similar solutions. Larger displays also need more battery life: in smartphones coming out in 2018, it won’t be strange to see batteries of at least 4000 mAh.

Wireless charging will also become a standard feature for all top-of-the-line smartphones coming out next year. Finally, after Apple and Huawei, other companies are also ready to integrate an artificial intelligence processor inside the smartphone. The next Snapdragon 845 is rumored to have a Neural Processing Unit that Google is already working on. Here are all the features we’ll see on smartphones coming out in 2018.

All smartphones will have an 18:9 screen

While in 2017 we only saw 18:9 displays on the top of the range, next year most companies will use them for all their devices. Even on mid-range and entry level devices. Software houses will be called to rethink applications for the new screens we will see next year. Some companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have already leaked that they are ready to launch for the first months of 2018 their mid-range smartphones with 18:9 screen (Galaxy A5 2018 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5).

More capacious batteries

Bigger smartphones, longer screens and more capacious batteries. These three will be the recurring features on smartphones coming out in 2018. As for the batteries, it will not be strange to see phones with an autonomy that exceeds 24 hours. The batteries present on smartphones in the next year will be at least 4000mAh, as already seen with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

Under-screen fingerprint sensor

The presence of the biometric sensor under the screen had been announced on the iPhone X, but in the end Apple desisted and preferred to implement Face ID. It is not excluded that we can see in 2018 a smartphone with this solution. The latest rumors talk about the presence of the fingerprint reader under the screen on the Samsung Galaxy 9.

Wireless Charging

Implemented in the latest top of the range released in recent months, wireless charging will become a standard feature for all devices in 2018. What will change for companies? They will have to use new materials to produce the back of the smartphone: wireless charging prefers glass to steel.

Dedicated processor for artificial intelligence

The Android Oreo 8.1 update has brought as a dowry to smartphones new APIs dedicated exclusively to artificial intelligence. This foreshadows the presence of a dedicated artificial intelligence co-processor on the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. A Neural Processin Unit very similar to the one already seen on the iPhone 8, iPhone X and Mate 10 Pro.

The swan song for HTC?

The mobile division of the Taiwanese company is not living its best moment. For several years now, HTC has not been able to be one of the most loved companies by users and all this is affecting the annual turnover. The solution could be the final sale of the mobile division to Google, after the partial acquisition that took place this year. 2018 will be the year of judgment. And the premises do not seem to be the best.