Smartphones have risen in popularity since Apple launched the iPhone in January 2007. It had a 3.5-inch touchscreen and introduced multi-touch gestures such as ‘pinching’ to zoom in or out. The iPhone was notable as being the first device of its kind to abandon using a stylus or keypad with buttons.
Thousands of mobile manufacturers, including Samsung, Sony, Lenovo and Nokia, have since created generations of smartphones – and they often release a new one each year as technology and innovation develops across the industry.
Some of the newest smartphones on the market have redefined fashion in their own way, including with the development of picture-perfect cameras, the reintroduction of foldable phones, and the making of tablet-like and much smaller smartphones to suit people’s size preferences.
Here are four smartphones which are redefining fashion in 2023.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
Following a massive development in 2018, foldable smartphones have been on the rise and continue redefining the fashion of the 1990s and 2000s icon flip phones.
Sales for Motorola flip phones, such as the T720 and the Razr V3, began declining in the late 2000s, following the increasing popularity of touchscreen phones.
Now, 19 years after the release of Motorola’s first Razr flip phone and 14 years after the release
of Motorola’s first touchscreen phone (Droid), they have created a reimagined series of foldable phones; Razr 40 Ultra, Razr 40 and Razr 22.
Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra, released in June 2023, is compatible with Android 13 and is available for £1049,99 in infinite black, viva magenta and glacier blue.
The phone folds with horizontal hinges in the centre of the screen to create a compact device with an added 3.6-inch external screen. When flipped open, it offers a full-size 6.9-inch touchscreen display.
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iPhone 13 Mini
In the past decade, Apple began expanding the sizes of their iPhones, including introducing their Plus size phones, starting with the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014 and following with the 7 Plus in 2016.
However, in 2020, they redefined the fashion of small phones by launching the iPhone 12 Mini. A year later, they launched the iPhone 13 Mini, which boasts just a 5.4-inch display.
The iPhone 13 Mini is perfect for those who prefer a smaller but much newer phone, as it weighs 33 grams less and measures 1.52cm shorter and 0.73cm thin than the iPhone 13, which was released in the same year.
The screen of the iPhone 13 Mini is still larger than the 4.7-inch display of the older iPhone 6, 6s, 7 and 8. However, as a newer phone, it has added developments such as a double back camera, a better battery life, a 0.5x front camera zoom option, and Face ID, and it is compatible with wireless chargers.
The iPhone 13 Mini is available for £649 in red, white, black, blue, pink and green. Additionally, money from every red device sold goes towards the Global Fund to combat COVID‑19.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
Many people had both a smartphone and a tablet not long back, but now you can get both devices in one with Samsung’s sizable Galaxy Z Fold4.
Foldable smartphones have become increasingly popular in the last five years due to the convenience of having a smaller phone that still boasts a large screen once opened to its full size. In 2023, global foldable smartphone shipments were expected to grow 52% year-over-year to reach 22.7 million units.
Sales for Samsung flip phones began declining in the late 2000s and early 2010s following the increasing popularity of touchscreen phones. Many years, and lots of new developments later, Samsung launched their groundbreaking flip and fold smartphones, both offering a different user experience.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 bends on a horizontal hinge to create a compact device. Once you flip it open, you’ll have a 6.7-inch smartphone. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has a vertical hinge. When folded, you have a 6.2-inch smartphone on the front; when unfolded, you have a tablet-like 7.6-inch display.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, released in 2022, is compatible with Android 13 and is available for £1649 in phantom black, grey-green, beige and burgundy.
(Image Source: Unsplash)
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Not only is the Google Pixel 7 Pro fashionable for being the official phone of the ITV reality show Love Island, but the 2022 phone has reimagined modern-day photography.
No need to take a digital or disposable camera on your next adventure when the Google Pixel 7 Pro offers Night Sight, Real Tone and Super Zoom for taking pictures from far away. It also boasts editing options such as Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser for removing things or people from the background of your photo.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is available for £699 in hazel, snow or obsidian – and, alongside the Pixel Fold, is the only Google phone with a triple rear camera.
Another massive development is the ultra-wideband technology which measures range and direction so that you can unlock your car from nearby using your Pixel 7 Pro as a key.
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