The smart phone market has pretty much reached maturity. Simply put they are "fast enough" and most people don't need an upgrade. However, that leaves a saturated market forcing phone makers to innovate or die. That, combined with the roll-out of 5G in the United States and around the world, we may be ready to enter a new era of smart phone innovation. Here's some phones we're excited about in 2019!
With the exception of the Mate X, most of these phones will be available on carriers here in the US later this year. For travelers though the nice thing is that many of these high-end phones feature not just one - but two sims to allow for seamless international travel. Simply leave your existing domestic sim in and add another when traveling to Europe such as SMARTY Mobile SIM. This way you can avoid expensive international roaming charges and continue using your phone wherever you are!
LG V50 ThinQ
LG is keen to get into the 5G market as early as possible and plans to launch its campaign with the V50 ThinQ, a device that updates on the V40 of last year. While this looks like more of a maintenance release designed to simply show that they are on the 5G bandwagon, we're HUGE fans of LG's V-series here and so will likely be upgrading to this as soon as we can get our hands on it.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
When the Samsung Galaxy Fold was introduced in April it was supposed to herald a new era in smart phone design. Unfortunately that launch seems to have been premature and it's gone back to the drawing board to sort out some technical issues. When it launches again later this year though I'm sure it will be a great product worth of the Samsung brand.
The Galaxy Fold is the first mass consumer example of a phone that folds out in a way that reveals a much larger, bezel-less screen. It’s an exciting prospect, and if the company can nail the technology, we could be looking at a future of fold-out screens, turning mobile devices into genuine portable computers.
Pixel 4
Google is absolutely killing it in the camera phone space. They have correctly identified that the two most important features in an Android phone are a clean fast interface and the best camera phone tech on any device - including IPhone. While details are scarce about what the Pixel 4 will bring to the table, they've earned their place on this list simply by what they did with Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a.
Huawei Mate X
Despite Huawei being restricted by the United States and other countries due to spying allegations, that won’t stop the company from releasing its new Mate X in China. This a phone will have a triple-lens rear camera and a fold-out screen, just like the Galaxy Fold. However, it will almost certainly have one of the best cameras on the market including it's 40 megapixel main shooter. The Huawei Mate X is pricey, though and estimates place the phone at more than $2,000 Euro!
Motorola Razr
The original Razr was one of the most iconic phones of the 90's, thanks to its stylish design and flip action.
Flip phones went out of fashion since we needed big flat displays on smart phones. Things have changed now and displays can be foldable now so Motorola is working to bring a throw-back Motorola Razr phone that mimics the original when closed. Like the other foldable phones above, this one won't be cheap either and is estimated to cost close to $1,500 when it is released later this year.
