Call me a crotchety old man, but we’re hitting the point where SoC no longer feels like the limiting factor of phone performance.
Unless there’s somehow a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency, new SoCs don’t really see a benefit without some other significant advancement. E.g., significantly higher resolution displays, bigger and better image sensors (with the storage to back them up), etc.
Not saying there’s not more that can be done with faster phones, but more that the average user browsing the web, scrolling social media, and taking selfies will never notice a 20% increase in performance unless it’s paired with something else.
Make them more efficient and make them run cooler. It solves way more problems than making them 18% faster then following year.
With the iPhone 14 line, Apple decided that $800 isn’t enough to get you the top-of-the-line SoC anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Android world follows Apple’s lead yet again.
Samsung is already focusing more on their Ultra. Maybe the S24 will just be a recycled S23, and only the Ultra will get a performance upgrade.
It’ll be a hard sell for me though. Why would I pay full price for a 2024 8G2 phone instead of buying a 2023 8G2 phone at discount?
Next big evolutions I care about in phones?
- Usable in rain / moisture 👀 One Plus
- Displays that go bright enough to use outdoors.
- 1080p front facing cameras as standard.
Otherwise, don’t talk to me.