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The market could be dominated by Apple and Samsung – with a wave of occasional interest every time a new pixel arrives – but there are more companies making phones than you would have imagined. In addition, they often do more innovation and experimentation than the big names.
At last count, Apple and Samsung accounted for two thirds of smartphones sold in the United States: the top five phones sold in the second quarter of 2019 were (in order) the iPhone XR, the iPhone 8, the iPhone XS Max, the Galaxy S10 Plus and the Galaxy S10.
Look globally, and it's a slightly different story. In the past two years, Apple's star has fallen, while Huawei and Xiaomi are on the rise.
Regarding the global market, with respect to phones sold in the second quarter of this year, Samsung is ahead with 22.3%, Huawei coming in second with 17.2% and Apple finishing top of the top three with 11.1%. percent. Xiaomi took 9.4%, Oppo 8.7% and all the others make up the rest (almost a third).
Whether you want to try something different at your next smartphone upgrade or simply want to know more about the industry's evolution, these are the phone companies you need to know.
Nokia
Based: 1865
What is it? Formerly the biggest name in mobile telephony, it is now a brand owned by HMD Global.
Recent products of interest: The Nokia 9 PureView has five lenses, pushing the limits of what you can shoot with a phone. Over the past two years, the Nokia 7 series phones have been excellent value-for-money, and the Nokia 7.2 has just made its debut at IFA 2019.
Why should you care? Nokia has long been associated with excellent phones cameras, a tradition it has managed to maintain (HMD Global was created by former Nokia employees). He also continues to show how a combination of low price, manufacturing quality and Android close to the stock can be attractive.
True me
Based: 2018
What is it: From one of the oldest phone companies to one of the most recent, a Chinese start-up ready to face big players.
Recent products of interest: The Realme XT is the first smartphone on the market to have a photo sensor of 64MP, which shows that it is not always the best known manufacturers who claim the first key innovations.
Why should you care? Coming from Oppo, Realme wants to combine state-of-the-art specifications with innovative design. From the year of its launch, it seems to have kept its promises. Having begun operations in India and Asia, it is now moving towards Europe and beyond.
Jolla
Based: 2012
What is it? Founded by former Nokia employees to further develop the MeeGo derived mining system called Sailfish OS.
Recent products of interest: Jolla has never installed a single phone, in 2013, to help with the creation of Sailfish OS.
Why should you care? In the US, in the face of Huawei's lingering problems, attention is once again focused on mobile operating systems, and the Sailfish OS operating system, based on Linux, is one of the best alternatives. Of course, it does not have the application selection of the Google Play Store, but it contains all the standard applications you will need – and in today's climate you may hear a lot more about Sailfish OS at l & # 39; future. .
Bullitt
Based: 2009
What is it? A mobile phone manufacturer that launches handsets in partnership with brands such as Caterpillar and Kodak.
Recent products of interest: Think of rugged outdoor phones, such as the Land Rover Explore or the Cat S61, featuring a thermal imaging camera and an air quality monitor.
Why should you care? Many modern phones are now waterproof, but if you want something really robust, Bullitt can help you. You certainly do not need a holster. The company also offers features such as the aforementioned thermal imaging camera and battery life longer than one day.
Wiko
Based: 2011
What is it? A French smartphone company marketing phones built in China.
Recent products of interest: View3 and View3 Pro are Wiko's newest handsets, allowing much more expensive phones to run.
Why should you care? Wiko phones do not necessarily innovate – although they were one of the first handset manufacturers to resist the trend – but like many Chinese brands, the company manages to combine affordability , design and performance.
Huawei
Based: 1987
What is it? The Chinese giant is currently suffering the consequences of US-China trade sanctions, including its sub-brand Honor, focused on the budget.
Recent products of interest: The Huawei Mate X, which, along with the Galaxy Fold, was one of the first true folding phones to appear (although it is still not for sale). The Huawei P30 Pro, with a special periscope lens, allows 5x optical zoom.
Why should you care? With or without commercial bans, Huawei is struggling to sell phones in the United States, but has been a driving force behind some of the best smartphone innovations in recent years, including multi-purpose and zoom devices. optical. Thanks to its infrastructure, it is often too early to commercialize technologies such as 4G and 5G. We will have to wait to see how the next Mate 30 will succeed if it does not have access to Android or a Google application.
Xiaomi
Based: 2011
What is it? Like Huawei, a juggernaut of a Chinese phone maker, which is currently developing outside of Asia.
Recent products of interest: The Xiaomi Mi 9 is one of the best midrange phones to hit the market this year. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, meanwhile, was one of the first phones in Europe to offer 5G capabilities.
Why should you care? Xiaomi does not have the same type of profile as Huawei in the United States, but its impact on the smartphone market could be even greater than that of its Chinese competitor. With the help of sub-brands such as Pocophone, it produces excellent mobile equipment at all price levels.
OnePlus
Based: 2013
What is it? The company that originally wanted to kill flagship ships, but now seems happy to live with them.
Recent products of interest: The OnePlus 7 Pro is a fantastic and versatile smartphone. Oh, and it's happening on TV soon. Expect the OnePlus 7T Pro very soon.
Why should you care? Originally, OnePlus has made a name for itself by producing high quality phones sold at a much lower price than other flagship products. Over time, its prices have increased, but every year, it still manages to produce powerful and smartly designed handsets that will cost you less than the best Apple and Samsung phones.
Oppo
Based: 2001
What is it? Like OnePlus, a subsidiary of BBK Electronics, the technology of his phone is often similar.
Recent products of interest: We were impressed by the 10x Oppo Reno zoom this year. Guess what its most remarkable feature is, just by name. He also launched a 5G phone and recently released a phone equipped with a selfie camera "Shark Fin".
Why should you care? You will often see Oppo show the new generation technology in advance, even if it does not appear in a phone, just recently, a selfie camera that can hide behind the front screen. If you can experiment with smartphone design, Oppo usually does it.
vivo
Based: 2009
What is it? Another subsidiary of BBK with OnePlus and Oppo, but which tends to follow its own path.
Recent products of interest: Vivo phones do not cross the world like those of Huawei or OnePlus, but the Vivo Z1 Pro (with a perforated hole) and the Vivo Nex (with a selfie camera popping up) are two of his best recent efforts.
Why should you care? Vivo is another Chinese phone company that tries to keep the handsets strange (and interesting at the same time). Although you may not be choosing a Vivo phone on an Apple or Samsung device soon, it's worth keeping up with Vivo's state-of-the-art technology (such as buttonless and portless phones).
Nubia
Based: 2015
What is it? Subsidiary of ZTE (although still a partner company), it now manufactures phones in its own right.
Recent products of interest: The Nubia Red Magic 3 is the best phone attempt we've seen so far. Last year, we also had the Nubia X, which is experimenting with a second screen.
Why should you care? Nubia likes to experiment, like the rest of its Chinese counterparts, but is also very good at building flagship devices. You will often see Nubia handsets described as "the best phone you can not buy" – and the second part of this sentence could eventually change.
ZTE
Based: 1985
What is it? A communications giant that makes phones too.
Recent products of interest: ZTE handsets have been meager in the field recently because of problems with US suppliers, but there are signs of recovery.
Why should you care? Like Huawei, ZTE has existed for a long time, has reached a considerable size and is involved in many aspects of telecommunications. He has also encountered problems with trade in the United States. After nearly disappearing, the size of ZTE means that its future influence on smartphones can not be ignored.
TCL
Based: nineteen eighty one
What is it? A colossus of a Chinese electronics company.
Recent products of interest: The BlackBerry Key2 is the newest phone from a TCL brand that impressed us, but the best products the company is offering this year are the Roku motor TVs.
Why should you care? With brands like Alcatel, Blackberry and Palm, as well as interest from Samsung or Sony for many categories of electronic products, TCL is likely to shape the industry in the coming years. At IFA 2019, she even started launching phones under her own name.
Smartisan
Based: 2012
What is it? A small Chinese consumer electronics company, remarkable because it could well help to create a phone with the owner of TikTok, ByteDance.
Recent products of interest: The Smartisan U3 and Smartisan R1 are respectively the latest mid-range phones and flagship of the company.
Why should you care? A partner to watch through its partnership with ByteDance, rather than a company that has had a dramatic impact on the smartphone market to date. It should also be noted that Smartisan invests heavily in software and cloud services.
Fairphone
Based: 2013
What is it? A young Dutch startup has developed modular smartphones that are easy to repair. A dream come true for gadget enthusiasts who have ethical concerns about waste.
Recent products of interest: The Fairphone 3 is the company's latest Android-based model, its range of "durable and durable phones." This week, the iFixit repair group released a dismantling of the new device and gave it a perfect score in terms of repairability. And while most manufacturers seem to have decided that the public is not interested in modularity, Fairphone keeps the dream alive.
Why should you care? While companies like Apple jump into the increasingly complex basket to justify why they must prevent users from repairing purchased devices with their hard-earned money, it will be hard for you to find a drop of glue in the belly of the Fairphone 3 And while critics of his latest composer-handyman classify it as a useless, if not overwhelming product, he should only improve as he gains adopters.
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