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A superphone is a smartphone with high-end features that distinguish it from basic (low-end) smartphones.
It implies high-end functionality beyond the basic criteria for a smartphone, such as the ability to be more tailored to a specific user's needs. A Superphone usually incorporates state of the art technology, innovations in hardware, and newer refined software. For example, having the latest SoC chip made from OEMs such as Qualcomm or Intel. A superphone could also imply a certain set of physical characteristics that is unique, unusual, innovative, and not regularly seen in smartphones; an example of this are the edge-to-edge "bezel-less" displays found in higher-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Essential Phone.
An appropriate example of a Superphone is the LG G Flex 2. The body is curved horizontally, making it less likely to break when bent, for example when one sits on the phone by accident. The back of the G Flex 2 is coated with a material that 'self-heals' within minutes when scratched. The Moto Z can also be considered an example of a Superphone for its innovative "Moto Mods", a set of individual modules which can be magnetically attached on the back to greatly extend the functionality of the phone.
Many flagship smartphones from various OEMs (Samsung, LG, HTC) can be considered to be Superphones, as the term flagship refers to the OEMs most high-end offering. Both terms can be used simultaneously to convey the same meaning.
Plausible criteria for Superphones in 2017 include:
A smartphone is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multimedia playback and streaming. Smartphones have built-in cameras, GPS navigation, and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based messaging apps.
The form factor of a mobile phone is its size, shape, and style, as well as the layout and position of its major components.
The LG Optimus 4X HD is a slate, multi-touch smartphone running the Android operating system. Designed and manufactured by LG Electronics. The Optimus 4X HD was the world's first smartphone announced with a quad-core processor along with the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the fourth phone in the LG Optimus-Android series. LG first introduced the LG Optimus 4X HD at Mobile World Congress. The Optimus 4X HD was launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Since April 2013, some variants have had a Jellybean update available.
A phablet is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of phone and tablet. The term is largely obsolete by the late 2010s, since average smartphone sizes eventually morphed into small tablet sizes, up to 6.9 inches (180 mm), with wider aspect ratios.
Miracast is a wireless communications standard created by the Wi-Fi Alliance which is designed to transmit video and sound directly from devices to display receivers. It can roughly be described as "HDMI over Wi-Fi", replacing cables in favor of wireless. The protocol is utilised in many devices and is used or branded under various names by different manufacturers, including Smart View and AllShare Cast, SmartShare, screen mirroring, Cast, wireless display and screen casting.
The Samsung Galaxy Note series was a line of high-end flagship Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models shipped with a stylus pen, called the S Pen, and incorporate a pressure-sensitive Wacom digitizer. All Galaxy Note models also include software features that are oriented towards the stylus and the devices' large screens, such as note-taking, digital scrapbooking apps, tooltips, and split-screen multitasking. The line served as Samsung's flagship smartphone model, positioned above the Galaxy S series.
The LG G2 is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics. Serving as a successor to 2012's Optimus G and the 2013 Optimus G Pro phablet, the G2 was unveiled at a press event in New York City on 7 August 2013, and first released in September 2013. The G2 is primarily distinguished by software features that LG billed would "learn" from users, a high fidelity sound system designed to produce higher quality audio, a 5.2 in (130 mm) 1080p IPS LCD screen with technology that the company claimed would improve energy efficiency and reduce the size of the bezel around it, along with the unique placement of its power and volume keys—eschewing their typical location on the edge of a smartphone by placing them on the rear below the camera lens.
Samsung Galaxy Round is an Android phablet smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled in October 2013, it is a curved variation of the Galaxy Note 3 that was distinguished by being the first commercially produced smartphone to feature a curved display. It launched exclusively on SK Telecom in South Korea on 10 October 2013.
The LG G Flex is an Android phablet developed and manufactured by LG. First unveiled by the company on October 27, 2013 for a release in South Korea, and carrying similarities to its G2 model, the smartphone is the company's first to incorporate a flexible display, along with a "self-healing" rear cover which can repair minor abrasions on its own.
The LG G3 is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics as part of the LG G series. First released in South Korea on May 28, 2014, it is a successor to 2013's LG G2. Inheriting design elements from the G2, such as its thin screen bezels and rear-mounted power and volume buttons, the G3 is distinguished primarily by being the first smartphone from a major manufacturer to incorporate a 1440p display, and its inclusion of an infrared hybrid autofocus system for its camera. Its video resolution has been upgraded to 2160p (4K). LG also touted the device's plastic "metallic skin"—designed to give the device a higher quality appearance, and a "simpler" user interface with an integrated intelligent personal assistant system. The battery can be quickly changed by the user, allowing charged spare batteries to be carried.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha (SM-G850x) is an Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 13 August 2014, the device was released in September 2014. A high-end device, the Galaxy Alpha is Samsung's first Android-powered smartphone to incorporate a metallic frame, although the remainder of its physical appearance still resembles previous models such as the Galaxy S5. It also incorporates Samsung's new Exynos 5430 system-on-chip, which is the first mobile system-on-chip to use a 20 nanometer manufacturing process.
The LG G5 is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics as part of the LG G series. It was announced during Mobile World Congress as the successor to the 2015 LG G4. The G5 is distinguished from its predecessors by its aluminum chassis and a focus on modularity. Its lower housing, which holds the user-replaceable battery, can be slid from the bottom of the device, and replaced by alternative add-on modules that provide additional functions. Two modules are available: a camera grip, and a high-fidelity audio module with DAC. A lower-spec variation, dubbed the LG G5 SE, is available in some markets.
The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active are Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series serves as the successor to the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and S6 Active released in 2015. The S7 and S7 Edge were officially unveiled on 21 February 2016 during a Samsung press conference at Mobile World Congress, with a European and North American release on 11 March 2016. The S7 Active was unveiled on 4 June 2016, and released on AT&T in the United States on 10 June 2016.
Moto Z is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Unveiled on June 9, 2016, as its flagship model for the year, the Moto Z is distinguished by the "Moto Mods" technosystem which allows case accessories to be magnetically attached to the device to provide additional functionality. The Moto Z was later joined by the more rugged Moto Z Force of which shares most of the same internals as the former, and the mid-range Moto Z Play with downgraded specifications, all three devices being compatible with the modular system.
Samsung DeX is a feature included on some high-end Samsung handheld devices that enables users to extend their device into a desktop-like experience by connecting a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The name "DeX" is a contraction of "Desktop eXperience".
The Phab 2 Pro is an Android smartphone in a phablet form factor, developed and produced by Lenovo and first released in November 2016 at an MSRP of US$499. The device is notable for being the first consumer smartphone to support Google Tango augmented reality (AR) technology.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an Android-based smartphone phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The successor to the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition and Samsung Galaxy Note 5, it was unveiled on 23 August 2017 and became available on 15 September 2017.
The Samsung Galaxy J6 is an Android smartphone developed by the Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics. Announced and released on May 22, 2018 along with the Samsung Galaxy J4 and the Samsung Galaxy J8, the J6 is a mid-range model smartphone and a successor to the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017).
A foldable smartphone is a smartphone with a folding form factor. It is reminiscent of the clamshell design of many earlier feature phones. Some variants of the concept use multiple touchscreen panels on a hinge, while other designs utilise a flexible display. Concepts of such devices date back as early as Nokia's "Morph" concept in 2008, and a concept presented by Samsung Electronics in 2013, while the first commercially available folding smartphones with OLED displays began to emerge in November 2018.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is a series of Android-based smartphones designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. Unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 9 February 2022.
