Samsung Galaxy S24 ( left ) , Google Pixel 8 , OnePlus 12 , iPhone 15 , and iPhone 15 Pro . Christine Romero - Chan / Digital Trends
When you look atsmartphonesthese days , the selection has grow a second … stale , to say the least . You ’ll see phones from top brands like Samsung , Apple , and even Google , but most option attend the same — they ’re glass slabs .
Samsung and Google also have their pen up sound , adding miscellany to your phone choice , but Apple ’s iPhones will always be slab . The bad part is that most of these headphone are also offered in some of the most boring colors lately , especially from Apple with theiPhone 15 Proline . Which spectre of gray-headed do you prefer ? That ’s at last what it come down to if you want Apple ’s flagship smartphone .
Google and Samsung have done a piece better than Apple with the people of color selection , with the Bay BluePixel 8 Proand Sandstone Orange of theGalaxy S24But all of these firebrand have been using the same design for the past several twelvemonth .
However , one smartphone brand has been standing out to me lately , and that ’s OnePlus . Not only is the most recentOnePlus 12a great overall telephone set , but it ’s one of the pretty ones I ’ve used latterly .
Make phone colors fun again
When I sire the OnePlus 12 , I was skip to get the Flowy Emerald color because I ’m hackneyed of ho-hum black phones . Luckily , I did get the emerald coloring material sent my way , and though I may be a little biased ( immature is one of my favored colors ) , Iloveeverything about it .
Thoughthe gorgeous whitewould have been my preference , that colour was only uncommitted in China , so Flowy Emerald was my second choice . Like all colors , green may not be everyone ’s loving cup of tea , but it shows that OnePlus at least takes a chance with something unparalleled .
There ’s a act of backstory behind creating the Flowy Emerald color , grant to OnePlus . It ’s inspired by the Dart River in the Southern Alps , and OnePlus wanted to recreate those dark-green ribbon that stretch across the Din Land . Of course , OnePlus has a cheesy line about how you ’ll “ charm the dependable essence of clock time within nature ” when holding the Flowy Emerald OnePlus 12 , which I laugh softly at , but there ’s no doubtfulness about it — Flowy Emerald is beautiful .
And it ’s not just because it ’s immature , which is my second favorite vividness ( pink is first ) . But OnePlus also added a gorgeous silver shimmer throughout the phone , even in the color - matched camera module , which really radiate when light hits it at the veracious slant . This is definitely something you do n’t see with other phone manufacturers , which not only bid boring , standard color , but they ’re also whole colors with either a matte or glossy conclusion .
Again , it ’s not like Flowy Emerald will be a favorite for everyone . But at least OnePlus is taking a chance by creating some unique gloss offering that truly stand out for its phones , unlike the competition . It was n’t until I noticed the play on the OnePlus 12 that I realized I needed more shimmery phone in my life . I have it away play and sparkle ( as long as it does n’t end up all over my manpower ) . More of this , please !
Have we reached peak smartphone design?
While coloring material are one matter , the overall innovation of smartphones has fuck off boring and stale . speech sound are either glass slabs , or a mark may do something a little more interesting with a foldaway or snotty-nosed phone , like theOnePlus OpenorMotorola Razr Plus .
I have intercourse some people are quite vocal about not wanting Apple to enter the foldable phone grocery . I would have been one of those the great unwashed , too , but since I ’ve started diving into Android phones , I ’ve regain foldable phone to be fun to use , interesting , and something different . I would really care to seeApple make a folding iPhoneone day .
Still , I miss when smartphone blueprint was weird , gimmicky , or playfulness to use . Remember the T - Mobile Sidekick 3 ? That was one of my favorite devices before theiPhone came along , and I miss having something fun like that . I would love to see a modern - solar day implementation of that character of swivel - out screenland .
OnePlus stands out to me as a brand name that does thing a routine otherwise , especially with the vividness , and I get it on that . Even its first foldable telephone set , the OnePlus Open , was telling in size of it and design , becoming one of my favoritefoldables from 2023 .
Apple used to be innovative with the iPhone , but it ’s been the same overall facial expression for the retiring four years . I ’m definitely hop for something more interesting with theiPhone 16lineup , but I wo n’t guard my breath . And though I care the Samsung Galaxy S24 , aside fromthe AI featuresand flat frame , it ’s pretty much identical to theGalaxy S23before it and await too close to an iPhone with that flat frame .
I love monkey with smartphones , but I ’m just get bore of the designs and , for the most part , colors . It feels like we ’ve plateaued , and sometimes , it ’s hard to be excited for a telephone that looks just like last year ’s .
Though OnePlus could apply less cheese in their selling about design inspirations , other steel could learn a lesson from OnePlus . At least put a little more effort into the design and colour instead of putting out the same wearisome thing year after year . Because when it ’s done well , it makes a liberal dispute .
