In an Android world that customers are usually spoilt for choice, narrowing down to the desired phone has always been a problem for many. For diehard fans, the concern is always about specs and updates, but for the rest of the Android family, it’s more about specs and design.
Android OEMs are not good at releasing software updates and if they do, the wait is usually long. This has meant that many people across the globe go without regular software updates for long periods. Many have complained about it and very few OEMs have reacted. Google is even trying to improve things with the introduction of Project Treble, but looking at the slow adoption of Android Oreo, it’ll take time before the timely updates issue is tackled.
There are those who have suffered this lack of updates for years, but for those who chose to go the Google Nexus or Pixel way, this problem has never been part of their smartphone lives. In fact, if you are looking for a device that promises timely software updates, there’s no other than the Google Pixels. Many will agree that neither the Pixel nor Pixel 2 has the best design out there, but there’s no doubt that they are among the best when it comes to specs. Combine this with timely software updates, you can easily see why the Pixels win the specs and updates battle.
As noted, many have suffered the lack of timely updates for quite some time and today, it has become a norm for them. For others, they don’t really know the significance of regular or timely software updates and hence they prefer to go with the specs and design combo when looking for a new phone. Unlike the specs and updates category, the specs and design category is very competitive mainly due to the different preferences people have when it comes to design.
There are those who will tell you the Samsung Galaxy S8 has the best design of any phone, but there is also another group that strongly disagrees with this statement. The all-glass design and curved edges on the S8 seem to be the main point of contention, with some preferring the all-metal unibody and flat screen design with minimal bezels, more like the OnePlus 5T or maybe the LG G6.
The year 2017 also witnessed the launch of many other beauties, including Essential Phone, HTC U11 (U11+), Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, among others. But which one wins the specs and design battle? Let us know in your comments below.