Connected Magazine

When did smartphones stop being so smart?

It used to be essential to buy the latest handsets but increasingly, entry-level and mid-range handsets seem to meet the majority of users’ needs

Phones are also becoming more repairable and there is a growing market for second-hand and refurbished devices

In the run-up to Christmas 2022, something interesting happened to smartphone shipments – sales dropped by 18 per cent.

For much of the 2010s, smartphones saw year-on-year improvements in the tech on offer to consumers, introducing better screen resolutions, longer battery life, better cameras and access to compelling features such as the ability to manage payment and travel cards.

However, it seems like a golden age of improvements is drawing to a close, and fewer ...