2017's smart phone with new trends: Mobile Eye by Junya Ishino (page 1/3)

In terms of careers, 2017 was "a year of major career counterattacks", but it can be concluded that smartphones were also a year of high-end momentum reviving. New trends are emerging in terms of functionality, such as "vertical display", "dual camera", and "AI/machine learning".

Looking at each brand, it was a big news that the iPhone has undergone a full model change for the first time in a while, and has become a three-model configuration of "iPhone 8/8 Plus/X". Galaxy, the biggest rival of the iPhone, also adopted a vertically long Infinity Display in the “Galaxy S8 / S8 +” and eliminated the traditional home button. Looking at domestic manufacturers, Sharp integrated smartphone brands. As "AQUOS R", it began to strongly push out the manufacturer's color.

On the other hand, looking at the sales, we can see that the momentum of mid-range terminals, which are excellent in cost-effectiveness, is increasing. Among SIM lock-free smartphones, Huawei's "P10 lite" was a big hit, and sales grew to a scale comparable to that of the iPhone. Major carriers have also jumped on the trend. Among the most successful were Docomo's "docomo with" and Y!mobile's "Android One." These handsets also dominated the sales rankings, indicating that the trend is changing.

In this article, which will be the last series of 2017, I would like to look back on such "evolution" and "trends" by citing the symbolic smartphones of the year.

iPhone and Galaxy are two of the world's top smartphone brands. 2017 was a year in which these two models underwent a full model change. Samsung's Galaxy took the lead. The Galaxy S8/S8+, which was announced in New York in March, uses the "Infinity Display", which expands the display area vertically and trims the bezel to the very limit. The home button, which has been installed since the first generation, has been abolished, and a “new form of smartphone” has been launched (related article).

2016 was a painful failure with the "Galaxy Note 7" fire problem Although it was Samsung Electronics, which had been doing so, at the same time as strengthening safety measures, the high degree of perfection of the Galaxy S8 / S8 + dispelled the user's anxiety. Globally, sales have recovered significantly. This model is adopted by two carriers, docomo and au, in Japan. In the GfK sales ranking in the first week of release, the Galaxy S8 + was ranked 5th in the overall ranking, and the Galaxy S8 was ranked 8th (both Docomo versions).

The concept of the Galaxy S8/S8+ was inherited by the "Galaxy Note8" announced in New York in August, and the Note series evolved at the same time (related article). While the Galaxy Note8 is equipped with the familiar S pen, it is finished as a more brushed-up terminal, such as the first dual camera. Also available in Japan from docomo and au. Since the "GALAXY Note Edge", the Note series has become one that fans have been waiting for. In the GfK ranking in the first week of release, docomo ranked 3rd and au ranked 9th by carrier, making a good start.

Galaxy is not the only one to undergo a full model change. Apple announced three models of iPhone 8/8 Plus/X at an event held in September. It has become an unusual three-model development that has not been seen in previous iPhones (related article). The iPhone 8/8 Plus inherits the design language of the iPhone 6/6 Plus and is a product that has been released as the "completed form" of the previous iPhone. The iPhone X, on the other hand, is a futuristic iPhone that CEO Tim Cook describes as "a product that reflects the next decade."

Adopting a tall and thin bezel display, the user interface has also been completely redesigned. In addition, it is equipped with a TrueDepth camera on the front and supports "Face ID", which illuminates the face with 30,000 dots to authenticate the user. "A11 Bionic" is used for the processor. Equipped with a "neural engine" for machine learning, it also incorporates ingenuity to make Face ID and shooting more effective.

With the resurgence of same-day sales at stores after a long absence, many iPhone X users will be able to It is still fresh in my memory that people lined up at the Apple Store. Immediately after its release, the iPhone X continued to be in short supply, but it dominated the top sales rankings. Since then, the supply has gradually stabilized, and since the beginning of December, we have started to see stores that can be purchased without reservations.