2024: A Big Year for AI Hardware Innovation, but a Battle Between Genuine and Fake Innovation in the Smartphone Market

2024: A Big Year for AI Hardware Innovation, but a Battle Between Genuine and Fake Innovation in the Smartphone Market2024 witnessed a surge in AI-driven hardware innovation, with the industry consensus shifting towards "prioritizing applications over parameter count." AI technology is permeating various sectors at an unprecedented rate, from smartphones, PCs, and home appliances to automobiles, cleaning devices, home goods, headphones, cameras, and storage

2024: A Big Year for AI Hardware Innovation, but a Battle Between Genuine and Fake Innovation in the Smartphone Market

2024 witnessed a surge in AI-driven hardware innovation, with the industry consensus shifting towards "prioritizing applications over parameter count." AI technology is permeating various sectors at an unprecedented rate, from smartphones, PCs, and home appliances to automobiles, cleaning devices, home goods, headphones, cameras, and storage. Hardware devices are increasingly integrating AI functionalities, achieving intelligent upgrades. Simultaneously, AI is profoundly reshaping software applications. Native AI applications are proliferating, while traditional software such as search engines, input methods, browsers, payment systems, office suites, and e-commerce platforms are undergoing AI-powered reconstruction. AI seems to have become a "magic wand" for technological innovation, and this is just the beginning. This article delves into the innovative phenomena emerging in the smartphone market in 2024 under the influence of the AI wave, and addresses the problem of "pseudo-innovation."

This year's smartphone market can be described as a year of "creative experimentation." Numerous manufacturers have introduced novel designs, a refreshing change in a market that has been dominated by homogenized designs in recent years. For a long time, Snapdragon/Dimensity chips, similar screens and sensor technologies, and even identical back cover designs have led to a lack of personality and vitality in the smartphone market. However, in 2024, manufacturers finally seem to have realized that monotonous designs only bore consumers and lengthen replacement cycles. To catch the eye, manufacturers are choosing "creative experimentation," striving for breakthroughs in design.

However, not all "new designs" deserve praise; many innovations are simply for innovation's sake, lacking practical value. "New but useless" smartphone innovations are subtly eroding consumer enthusiasm and wallets. The following analyzes several examples of "pseudo-innovation" in the 2024 smartphone market:

I. Oversized Camera Modules: Image Capability and Module Size Are Not Directly Correlated

Since smartphone manufacturers began focusing on imaging capabilities, the size of phone cameras has steadily increased. From single to multiple cameras, from flat to protruding, today's phone backs are generally covered with protruding camera modules, significantly impacting the body's integrity and grip. The vivo X200 Pro mini, for example, integrates a powerful imaging system into a slim body, which is commendable, but the protruding camera module significantly detracts from the grip. Regardless of the holding method, fingers are inevitably hindered by the camera module.

While flagship phones need to highlight their powerful imaging capabilities, some mid-range and even entry-level phones are imitating this trend, adopting large and thick camera modules, as if larger modules automatically equate to better imaging capabilities. In reality, powerful imaging modules are often larger, but this doesn't mean that a large module automatically guarantees superior performance.

II. Redundant Dedicated Camera Buttons: More Gimmick Than Practicality

Early in the year, rumors suggested the iPhone 16 series would include a dedicated physical camera button. From a design perspective, this seems convenient, and combined with Apple's smooth system animations and underlying logic, it could have been a new development direction. However, the actual experience was vastly different. Many users reported that the dedicated camera button was minimally useful, either unused, misused, or poorly implemented. Some users even stated that the button negatively impacted their photography experience.

Another domestic manufacturer subsequently released a phone with a dedicated camera button, but its operational logic also suffered from issues. In many cases, users forget the button's existence. The manufacturer's intentions were goodto enhance the professionalism and personalization of mobile photographybut they didn't consider the button's operational logic, adding it impulsively and neglecting subsequent optimization. This dedicated camera button has become one of the least-favored new designs of 2024, even more impractical than the previous 3D Touch, and adding unnecessary cost.

III. Satellite Calling: High Cost, Low Utility for Most Users

Satellite calling technology is undoubtedly promising, helping users in emergencies. Currently, flagship models from Huawei, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, and Honor offer this feature. However, for most users, its practicality is very low. Most people live relatively predictable lives and rarely venture into remote areas lacking cellular network signals.

Furthermore, satellite calling is not cheap. For instance, the early OPPO Find X7 Ultra satellite communication version cost 500 yuan more than the standard version (with the same configuration). For most consumers, paying an extra few hundred yuan for this niche feature is not worthwhile. While OPPO offered consumers a choice, Xiaomi, Honor, and vivo included it as standard, increasing the overall price and burdening consumers. While satellite calling has its merits, it remains highly niche and requires a monthly subscription fee. Manufacturers should follow OPPO's example and offer different versions for consumers to choose from.

IV. Overblown 2K Screens: Higher Specs Don't Always Mean Better

This refers not to flagship-level panels, but outdated panels with no advantages besides high resolution. Before the emergence of 1.5K screens, the difference in display quality and fineness between 2K and 1080P screens was readily apparent. However, with the maturation of 1.5K screen technology, the advantages of 2K screens have diminished.

Data comparisons show that a traditional 6.7-inch 2K screen typically has an equivalent PPI of around 410, while a 1.5K screen using new technology has around 370, a seemingly significant difference. However, the retina display standard is 324 PPI. This means that as long as the equivalent PPI exceeds 324, the naked eye struggles to differentiate between 1.5K and 2K resolutions.

More importantly, 1.5K screens outperform low-end 2K screens in eye protection, backlight, and power consumption. Some manufacturers, in pursuit of so-called "flagship configurations," forcibly adopt outdated low-end 2K screens, increasing costs and reducing the actual user experience. Top-tier products like the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ use 1.5K screens without sacrificing display quality. Manufacturers should abandon this practice that prioritizes gimmicks over user experience. Of course, this isn't a blanket condemnation of all 2K screens; phones like the Xiaomi 15 Pro have optimized 2K screens, reducing power consumption and enhancing display quality.

Smartphone Innovation Dilemma: Balancing Innovation Difficulty and User Needs

The current smartphone market is fiercely competitive, with manufacturers tending towards incremental improvements rather than risky disruptive innovations. This relates to the difficulty of smartphone innovation and the diversity of user needs. For large companies, significant changes carry substantial risks.

For example, if Xiaomi added multiple adjustable shooting parameters via rotary or touch buttons on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, it would be innovative but might alienate many users. User needs are diverse, and manufacturers must balance innovation and user experience, which is challenging.

"Incremental innovations" like imaging, fast charging, and battery life are more readily accepted. However, true breakthroughs still require disruptive new technologies. Perhaps in the near future, with technological advancements, disruptive technologies will emerge, ushering in a new era for smartphone innovation.

January 7, 2025, CES 2025 is approaching, and we will continue to monitor and report on related information.