A look back at the most innovative smartphones of 2017

As we come to the end of 2017, tech companies, app developers and online businesses will be looking back at popular trends, trying to predict what next year will bring and looking for ways to innovate. 2017 has been a very exciting year in the world of mobile technology, with a number of new product releases and industry innovations leading to a more diverse and active market.

AR filters, portrait mode and face detection are just some of the new software features that came this year. Here we take a look at the devices and hardware innovations that made these features possible.

iPhone X

The iPhone X is Apple’s first iteration to feature a borderless screen design. This, along with the new A11 Bionic CPU chipset, has helped developers create more immersive and responsive apps.

The big talking points about Apple’s new tech, however, is the addition of facial recognition technology and advanced AR capabilities. Moving ahead of the fingerprint trend, Apple now allows iPhone X users to unlock their phone simply by looking at it. This has opened up a range of new possibilities for app developers.

Google Pixel 2

When Google released the first version of the Pixel, it was a sign that the tech giant had made a decision to tackle the mobile industry head on and really put some money into the development of new tech. The initial release was welcomed with huge popularity within the community and Google followed suit with the release of the Pixel 2 this year.

As well as innovations to the device’s camera that is ahead of most other competitors on the market, the developers behind the Pixel 2 integrated a plethora of new gestures. These new concepts make for an incredibly smooth and intuitive user experience and have allowed app developers to add new levels to their digital products.

Huawei Mate 10

The rise of Chinese phones in the western market has been responsible for a number of new innovations and it has forced large tech companies to improve their products in order to compete. Among the popular eastern brands, Huawei has released some of the best devices in recent years.

The Huawei Mate 10 is one of the latest additions to the company’s product portfolio and features a number of innovations that were seemingly unimaginable five years ago. As well as increased hardware specs, the mate 10 incorporates customisability settings, multi-app capabilities and more gestures than you could possibly remember.