What Is The Perfect Android Smartphone

What is the perfect Android smartphone?
http://www.androidguys.com/2015/11/11/what-is-the-perfect-an...
November 16, 2015
!doctype html> html> head> meta charset "UTF-8"> link href "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family
Open+Sans:400&lang en" rel "stylesheet" type "text/css">
style>a{color:#0000ff}body,table,div,ul,li{margin:0;padding:0}body{font-family:"Open Sans",arial,sansserif;} /style> script> function ){var c this;var f String.prototype.trim?function a){return a.trim )}:function
a){return a.replace /^[ s xa0]+|[ s xa0]+$/g,"")},g function a,b){return a b?-1:a>b?1:0};var n;a:{var p
November 11, 2015 Matt Adams

Technology is in=ltrating every aspect of our lives. The majority of us would agree that its a great thing.
Advances in technology and automation have made tasks easier and more cost effective. Technology brings
us together by making it easier and cheaper to communicate across short and vast distances. A short time
ago it was incredibly costly to talk to a family member in another country on the phone, and just a little
before that, it wasnt all too uncommon to write letters by hand. Heck, I bet some of you remember paying
extra money just to talk to relatives in another state on a landline.
Weve moved into a time of where you dont need to keep as much information in your head. Memorization
becomes less of a necessity when you can pull a computer out of your pocket, ask it a question, and it
returns the answer youre looking for in seconds. Only a few years ago we were relying on dictionaries, maps
and encyclopedias for guidance or answers to important questions.
Today, our central hub is the mobile phone. Its always with us. It contains the information we need, and it
connects us to those we care about. But, it seems that no matter how good a particular model is, we tend to
=nd a Oaw, two or worse more. Its too big, its not big enough. The speakers are too tinny or it cant hold
enough of our pictures and videos. Theres too much bloat. The screen quality isnt good enough or the
brightness isnt bright enough. Simply put, a perfect Android phone has been a Unicorn and its time to
1 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
change that.
Were here to tell OEMs that we want a phone with no compromises. We want a phone on our terms.
We put together a poll asking our readers and followers to help understand what it is that might constitute a
perfect smartphone. Thanks to you, we received a lot of feedback and some great data. Below are the
results of what our community feels are the most important aspects of a phone. Well try to match up your
answers to current market phones and come up with our perfect phone at the end.
From the data weve collected, were going to =gure out what the perfect phone is. Maybe our friends at
Samsung, HTC, LG, and Sony (among many others) will listen. And, just maybe, we will get the perfect
smartphone.
Screen
The =rst pillar in our perfect
phone is going to be the screen.
Its our main source of
interaction with the device. Not
only does it show information
and entertainment, but its also
the main input now that
physical keyboards have gone
out of style (Help us Blackberry
Priv! Youre our only hope!).
In the graph below, we see that
44.6% of respondents prefer the
modern day phablet. For the
purposes of this discussion were going to de=ne a phablet as anything 5.5 or larger.
The Samsung Galaxy Note line has pioneered this space since the original Note came out in 2011. The rest
of the market has =nally caught up, and pretty much every manufacturer offers a phablet device now. Even
Apple who famously demanded that their phones be small so you could easily touch the top of the screen
now with one hand has one of the largest phones on the market. Samsung has de=nitely pushed the market
in not only display size but also quality. Their displays are renowned for their deep blacks, saturated colors,
and high brightness.
2 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Whats clear from the results is that Samsung phones are hitting the sweet spot with their Oagships.The 5.2
display has tied the 5.7 display in our results. So users prefer either a phablet or a device that is easier to
manage in one hand with a 5.2 display. The Samsung Galaxy S6 (5.2) and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 just so
happened to be those sizes and are widely considered the best displays on the market. Samsung probably
helped de=ne these categories as they were the pioneers in larger screen sizes. Whats interesting is that our
respondents prefer a 1080p display on the 5.2 screens instead of 1440p like on the S6.
Were going to pick the 5.7 1440p display for our perfect phone screen. The highest number of people
responded that theyre comfortable with phablets, and that is where the industry appears headed. We tend to
agree with the data and think the Super AMOLED 5.7 AMOLED display is absolutely fantastic and would
want nothing less
Storage
Storage is a tricky one. Its a balance of on-board and expandable avenues that give and take. If your
on-board storage is lacking, its nice to be able to throw a microSD card into your phone and expand it to suit
your needs. There are few examples when expandable storage wont play nice with the Android Operating
System, but with Marshmallow being released, you will now be able to treat your microSD card as internal
storage.
3 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Study after study have told us that 16GB of on-board storage should no longer be the standard for base
models. Phones now shoot video in 4K, have burst mode photography, and tend to be our main media
players. Apps are becoming much more useful but that means they require more space than in years past.
With the ability to download videos from YouTube for ofOine consumption, space is becoming ever more
valuable. The real question here is how much do you really want expandable storage? Not only does your
microSD card give you more space to store your pictures and video, but it also makes it incredibly easy to
move them back and forth between devices. In the age of data caps and throttled data, the cloud isnt
always an option.
For our perfect phone, were going to pick a minimum of 32GB of storage with a microSD card slot. The
potential price and design compromises are worth it in our eyes.
Battery and Charging
4 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Its no secret that were moving more toward embedded batteries. There are still champions of removable
batteries like LG but major OEMs like Sony, Motorola, and even Samsung champion of the removable
battery are sealing their batteries inside. Like everything else, there are tradeoffs to be made. Sealing your
battery inside the phone normally means better build quality, and in some cases, bigger batteries.
A removable battery means that you can swap out batteries when yours goes dead or if it becomes faulty.
True power users generally prefer this feature due to using their phone so much. But, with the rise in quick
charging, bigger batteries, more power ef=cient screens and processors and smaller portable battery packs,
are removable batteries still needed? The answer may surprise you.
To be honest, Im a little surprised its this one-sided. There was a LOT of chatter around the time of the
Samsung Galaxy Note 5s release about the lack of removable battery. The Note has always been the power
users phone. Expandable storage and removable batteries were supposedly the biggest selling points for
the Note series. But maybe Samsung was right to eschew those features for a more sturdy design.
5 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
In these two graphs, were seeing a shift in how people view charging technology. Quick charging only hit the
scene in the past few years, but it is becoming mandatory to almost half of the respondents. Even those that
said they didnt need it in a phone did express some interest in it. Only about 6% of those who responded
dont care about rapid charging at all.
On the other hand, Qi wireless charging is a bit of a different story. While a lot of people either had to have it
in their phone or were interested in it, almost a third of those who responded didnt care at all about the
wireless charging technology. Thats a much bigger percentage than I thought wed see.
In our perfect device, were going to employ both quick charging and wireless charging. Quick charging is a
must, and while wireless charging might not be to most, it could be a feature that puts a phone over the top
for some. So we can get the best build quality possible, were also going to go with an embedded battery.
Since we have both Quick and Wireless charging, staying charged up should be relatively easy.
Buttons and Fingerprint Scanner

One of the biggest advances in
smartphones today are
=ngerprint scanners. I truly feel
like Im using a futuristic device
when I place my =nger on a
sensor and it immediately
unlocks the phone. We really
do live in the future. But how
important is that really? Are
=ngerprint scanners a passing
fad or here to stay?
I tend to stick in the here to stay camp. Android Pay is a huge advancement mobile payments since it can
be used on almost any Android phone. But you need home screen security for that. Google is going to push
the market forward again. Nexus imprint is a brilliant technology that all future OEMs are going to have to
integrate into their phones. Its better than every other =ngerprint scanner on the market, even TouchID on
Apples devices.
The on screen vs. physical button debate has been going on for a long time. Im personally one of the 27%
who dont care which I have. I adapt to either based on the device I use. I do prefer the physical home button
of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 but its very easy to knock yourself out of whatever media youre watching by
accidentally pressing a button.
6 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Generally when you have physical buttons, they take up the space where you could have front facing
speakers. While many of you said you didnt really care about the placement of your speakers, if you can =t in
front facing speakers, you probably should.
Since this is our perfect phone were going to go with on screen buttons, Nexus imprint on the back and front
facing speakers. Almost seems like the new Nexus line nailed it.
Speakers and NFC
This is another question I was genuinely shocked to see the results. I assumed that most people would fall
into the Yes, but I dont have to have front facing speakers category. A larger number of people who HAD to
have front facing speakers showed up, and with as much as we consume media on our devices, it shocks
me that almost 21% of you dont care about speaker placement at all.
One of the biggest debates around the OnePlus 2 was the lack of NFC. OnePlus claimed they listened to
their customers and left the radio out of their device.
Many people didnt appreciate that decision. NFC is vital to wireless payments. The popularity of the new
payment method is exploding with the introduction of Android Pay and Samsung Pay. But, was OnePlus
right? Do people care if they have NFC?
An astounding 88% of respondents want NFC. For over half, they dont HAVE to have NFC on their phone to
make the purchase, but the interest is there. According to those who answered our survey, OnePlus got it
wrong. Were de=nitely going to include NFC in our perfect phone.
7 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Build Quality and Price
Build quality and price are another category where

trade-offs are seen much of the time. Theres a
reason that the LG G4 dropped in price so rapidly
while the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has stayed so
expensive. Samsung has been famous in the past
for making phones with cheap plastic bodies. This
is a double edged sword because they could stand
up to falls a little better than most, but they didnt
feel premium. Theres a large segment of the
population that wants a premium device when they spend $600+ on a device or sign a 2-year contract.
I think our graph bares out what were seeing in the market today. The iPhone is a huge seller. The Galaxy
line has switched over to more premium materials. How your phone feels in your hand and how it looks
matters. Weve gotten to the point where every phone can perform, now most people want one that looks
good while doing it.
And people are willing to pay for it. In the graph we de=nitely see a segment of the population that is going to
stick to cheaper phones. That makes sense. With phones like the Motorola Moto G, Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3,
Asus ZenFone 2, and others, the mid-range market is exploding.
But, this is about a perfect phone, not the best value. We all have our limits, but were going to get the best
build and materials that we can for the standard Oagship price of about $650. Metal frame? Glass front and
back? Or maybe you prefer an aluminum body like the Nexus 6P or HTC One? Our perfect phone is built like a
tank but feels perfect in the hand.
The Perfect Phone

So, what
does our
perfect
phone
look like?
To begin,
were
going to
8 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
take the
5.7
1440p
screen
from the
Galaxy
Note 5. It
has
fantastic color saturation, beautiful blacks due to its AMOLED technology and gets very bright. Its a
fantastic size, and even though for some it may not be a one handed device, this size is the new normal for
most. Our desires for beautifully displayed media trumps most one handed use desires.
Continuing down the media thought process, were going to put Boomsound speakers on the front of our
perfect phone. You were split, almost evenly about placement and importance of speakers. On screen
buttons and front facing speakers that can shake a few windows make for an immersive media experience
that wont be rivaled.
Some power users may tell have responded that 64GB of storage should be the minimum but to keep our
costs low, were going to go with 32GB of storage and 4GB of RAM to push anything we can throw at it. Fear
not, because were adding a microSD card slot so you can add as much storage as you see =t. If youre
anything like me, I use my phone to watch movies all the time so I want plenty of space to hold them and
continue on with my daily activities without the phone yelling at me that its full.
To satisfy our power users, we are going to beef the phone up a little bit. Were going to trade the slim and
sexy bodies of say a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or Huawei Nexus 6P for a few extra millimeters to pack in
more battery. Our embedded battery must clock in at at least 3,500mAh. Not only do we need a big battery,
but we are going to build in support for quick charging and wireless charging.
Samsung has proved that you can have wireless charging and premium materials and were going to
continue that trend.
To shake it up a little bit, our perfect phone is going to employ a Moto

Maker type system so you can customize your colors. Do you want a red
metal band and a white front with a black glass back? You get it. Do you
want leather instead of glass on the back? Yep! Order it up. Our perfect
phone isnt just one phone for everyone. Its a perfect phone for each
person. The =ngerprint scanner will take the place of the dimple on the
back of most Motorola phones, much like the Nexus line does now.
Were going to need to see USB Type-C so were future proofed, water
resistance, Bluetooth 4.1, the latest Wi= standards and a Sony IMX240
sensor on the back of our phone for the best possible pictures. To top it
off, its going to cost $650. Companies have proven before that they can
make phones with very few compromises, but will any of them step up to
make our perfect phone?
What are the real world examples of phones that come close? After carefully pouring over your responses
and the choices weve made thereafter, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, HTC One M9, and Huawei Nexus 6P
9 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
most closely resemble our perfect phone. Weve also taken elements of the Motorola Moto X Pure and Sony
Xperia Z5 to round out this perfect device.
If youd like to see our raw data, feel free to click here to check out the answers. There are a few more
question and answers that we didnt address in this article so de=nitely check that out if youre interested.
Did we miss anything? Have any qualms about our choices? Make your case down in the comments.
And all of this, of course, is just the hardware side of things. Software is an entirely different subject for
another day.
Tags
alcatel onetouch idol 3
moto maker
moto x pure
samsung galaxy s6
AMOLED
motorola
samsung pay
Android Pay
htc one m9
nexus imprint
OnePlus 2
sony xperia z5
water-resistant
huawei nexus 6p
samsung galaxy note 5
zenfone 2
Category
Interesting
Not Interesting
moto g
Featured
28
News and Rumors
ABOUT AUTHOR
Matt Adams
88 posts
I'm a huge fan of Android, Arsenal FC, the Kentucky Wildcats and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Always up for a good debate.
10 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
3 Comments
AndroidGuys
Share
Recommend
Login
Sort by Best
Join the discussion

Ryan
2 days ago
The article misses a big point. The needs of users vary greatly. One small example, I wouldn't
otherwise care about a removable battery but I now work a 12 hour shift in a semi-conductor fab
and I'm issued a company phone that only lasts 7 hours. Since I work with my hands, it's much
easier to swap a battery at lunch than carry an additional battery bank. If I worked at a desk, I
probably wouldn't care. Building a perfect phone is a silly discussion, it's like building the perfect
car to fit all market segments.
Reply Share
technohead95
3 days ago
Interesting article, reminded me of this video:
On the "Perfect Smartphone"
see more
Reply Share
retrospooty
4 days ago
I kind of thought it would come out like this. As loud and vocal as the "SD and replaceable
batteries is a must" crowd is, they are still in the minority and that is among people that visit
Android fan sites like this and voted. Normal buyers not only don't care about SD and replaceable
batteries, they don't even visit sites like this.
Reply Share
11 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
SEARCH ANDROIDGUYS
Search
SAVE BIG!
ACCESSORY REVIEWS
4.8
LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition 3rst look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015
12 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
4.9
EasyAcc Classic 3350mAh Power Bank: Sometimes all you need is one charge (Review)
3.9
Upgrade your audio setup with Koloss from Thonet & Vander (Review)
LATEST SMARTPHONE REVIEWS

LG V10 review: Could this underdog be the phablet of the year?
November 9, 2015
ZTE Boost MAX+ review: Big, bulky, and just enough

November 4, 2015
A very cool review of the verykool Jet SL5009

November 2, 2015
HTC One A9 review: Where have you been HTC?

October 27, 2015
LOOK AROUND
News and Rumors
Deals & Steals
Smartphone Reviews
App Reviews
Accessory Reviews
Tips & Tricks
Icon Packs
Wallpapers
SAVE BIG!
[Deal] Grab the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller for only $30
November 16, 2015
13 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
Order the powerful and unlocked Lenovo K3 Note at Gearbest.com for $150
November 14, 2015
[Deal] Beats By Dre Solo HD Headphones for $99.99

November 13, 2015
TIMELINE
16/11/2015
10:45
16/11/2015
10:30
16/11/2015
10:09
16/11/2015
07:35
15/11/2015
15:25
15/11/2015
11:34
Verizon rejiggers prepaid rate plans

Cyanogen to power $75 devices and a possible cagship in 2016
T-Mobile adds Music Unlimited, Data Maximizer features to MetroPCS plans
[Deal] Grab the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller for only $30
[About Face?] New T-Mobile plans now live, all Simple Choice plans include Binge On
It is cool to be a geek: Check out these 35 HD wallpapers just for you
FEATURED
It is cool to be a geek: Check out these 35 HD wallpapers just for you
November 15, 2015
LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition 3rst look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015
November 14, 2015
70 QHD(1440p) Wallpapers to show ok that awesome display

November 12, 2015
How To: Experience FireFox OS with a simple APK

November 12, 2015
14 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM
APP AND GAMES REVIEWS

Raindar is a simple and powerful weather radar app (App review)
November 13, 2015
Texture by Next Issue: All you can read magazine subscription [App Review]
November 13, 2015
Destiny Companion app: The one every Guardian needs [App Review]
November 10, 2015
Spark Epic: High replay value, but it comes at a cost

November 10, 2015
TIPS, TRICKS, AND TWEAKS

Follow these 5 basic rules and get perfect pictures everytime with your smartphone
November 13, 2015
How To: Experience FireFox OS with a simple APK

November 12, 2015
How To: Customize your Facebook news feed preferences on Android

November 11, 2015
How to backup, edit and share your most precious moments with Google Photos
November 7, 2015
15 of 15
11/16/15 10:48 AM

What Is The Perfect Android Smartphone

Cargado por

Información del documento

Título original

Derechos de autor

Formatos disponibles

Compartir este documento

Compartir o incrustar documentos

Opciones para compartir

¿Le pareció útil este documento?

¿Este contenido es inapropiado?

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

What Is The Perfect Android Smartphone

Cargado por

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

What is the perfect Android smartphone?

November 16, 2015

November 11, 2015 Matt Adams