Top 5 smartphone advancements to expect 2018

A lot of things happened with phones in 2017, but probably the biggest advances were in the actual design of the phones with a lot of devices now featuring a very minimal bezel and a screen that dominates the whole front of the phone. In 2018, we will probably look at devices with big bezels like a thing from the very distant past as technology marches forward in leaps and bounds.

So among the rumors and leaks, what are the important new features and innovations that will change the world of mobile technology this year? I've been watching the industry closely and we think we have a good idea of where things are going, so here is a list of the 5 most important and most exciting new technologies coming in 2018. Of course, Apple , Google, Samsung and the rest from the company have proven that they can deliver a surprise and we are sure we will be surprised with other new tech as well. That's part of the fun of being in tech. And nope, no flying cars are coming in this year, but here is what we do expect to see:

#1: Under-display fingerprint scanners

The first commercially available phone with a fingerprint scanner embedded under the display glass will come in the first quarter of 2018.

Unfortunately, it will not be Apple or Samsung who will be the first with the technology, but instead it will be Vivo, a Chinese company that does not officially sell its
phones in the World wide. Still, we expect it to be first of many and other mainstream brands may follow suit if the technology works well (and that is one important 'if').

This first under-screen fingerprint scanner is developed by Synaptics with its Clear ID FS9500 chip, a small CMOS device placed below an AMOLED screen. It illuminates the finger, so that the fingerprint scanner can read the reflections of the finger scan and work its magic.

#2: The first foldable phone?

We have been hearing about foldable phones for years and we have seen sloppy attempts from some companies (we're looking at you, ZTE Axon M), but the technology is finally expected to reach its final stages towards the end of 2018.

In a leaked slide , Samsung is said to be considering showing a foldable phone at the very end of 2018: the
Samsung Galaxy W, but the company has said that it has postponed the actual launch until 2019 as it is working on perfecting the technology and it still has its successful curved Super AMOLED displays around.

#3: Apple’s first augmented reality headset

Apple is all in with augmented reality. Leaks all agree that the company is actively working on an augmented reality headset, a technology different from the existing
virtual reality wearables because it does not require full immersion into a virtual world.

It is not yet clear whether Apple will even launch this new headset, but we expect more information to surface about this project throughout the year. The company is allegedly aiming at a 2019 launch for the AR headset and it could come as its next big category that could one day succeed the iPhone.

So far, we know that Apple has hired a big team of top industry experts exploring AR. People from the film industry, programmers and other specialists are figuring out the uses of the augmented reality headset and recently, we've heard reports that Apple has already placed orders for displays for the glasses at a Chinese manufacturer.

#4: Voice assistants that sound indistinguishable from humans.

The most exciting new development at Google's voice department is the new ability for the machine to sound almost indistinguishable from a real human speech. Google published an official paper about this technology, saying that it is possible because of the company's advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Voice assistants are becoming a more integral part of the phone experience and Google with its Assistant is clearly leading the way.

#5: Better battery life

In 2017, we got a surprisingly big boost in battery life on our phones. Battery life among flagships increased by 25% this year when compared to the previous one, according to our proprietary battery test.

More advanced chip manufacturing process was the main reason: the Snapdragon 835 that was found on practically all flagships for the year is built on a 10nm process that is much more power-efficient. The upcoming Snapdragon 845 will build-up on the same foundation, but we expect more marginal gains in battery life and better-optimized software from manufacturers.

After Samsung's Note 7 battery fiasco in 2016 and after Apple's #BatteryGate scandal at the end of 2017, the big
phone makers will surely keep a close watch that their
phones are safe and performing reliably.

These are the 5 most exciting new technologies that we expect to see in phones in 2018.

What new feature or technology are you most excited about?

Looking forward to hearing about your favorites in the comments right below.