Sometimes things do not go well as expected and this is valid with the smartphones manufacturers too. Sometimes the manufacturers fail to grasp the demand of the consumers and sometimes the products turned out to be defective. At the end, the products turn out to be a disappointment among the consumers. Here we have collected a list of disappointing smartphones of 2016, which turned our anticipation futile.
1Samsung Galaxy Note 7
With an introduction of Iris scanner and with the improvement of the camera than its predecessor, Note 7 had an alluring specification. However, things did not go as expected. The flagship device exploded out of the blue and hence topped the list of disappointing smartphones of 2016. Samsung blamed the battery for the explosion and called out the devices for the battery replacement. However, the battery replacement idea did not turn out to be a sustainable solution. The series of explosions did not stop even after the battery replacement. Hence, the manufacturers fall under the obligation to call back all the devices and to discontinue the sales and shipments. With the rumors of Galaxy Note 8 peaking in the tech market, tech freaks like me are anticipating to look the way Samsung to make its comeback.
2LG G5
When LG launched its modular phone G5 at MWC, it promises everything that one would expect in a phone like QHD display, 4GB RAM, Qualcomm SD820 SoC, and removable battery. However, technical problems with modular camera modules, speakers, Battery drainage, and connectivity has plagued G5 owners. Moreover, priced at Rs. 75,000, the LG G5 was nowhere near its competitors S7 Edge that offered better display, camera, and battery life.
3iPhone 7
Killing the 3.5 mm headphone jack, this year’s iPhone gained attention along with the controversy. Excluding the media hype, no much improvements were there to lure the 6S users for an upgrade. Running through the comparisons, iPhone 7 seem neglected as its sibling iPhone 7 plus being nurtured with higher end specs like fullHD display and dual camera lens. Though Apple forgot to put higher end specs to the iPhone 7, however, Apple was alert to put the pricing in the enormous range of 92,000 – 1,22,000 for the three variants. Turning a year’s anticipation futile, iPhone 7 also set a benchmark in the list of disappointing smartphones of 2016.
4Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
When all the smartphone manufacturers are focusing on bringing Android smartphones, Microsoft has been the one not to follow the trend. However, Windows as the smartphone OS was not loved by the consumers as it was loved in computer gadgets. Nevertheless, the specs of Lumia 950 XL was of satisfying type. However, with the price difference Rs. 10,000 to its sibling Lumia 950, the differences we get was just a 0.5” increase in display and the upgraded CPU from Hexacore to Octacore. For bringing worthless specs for the price and for not having the fan favorite Android OS on its system, following the league, Lumia 950 XL also turned out to be a disappointment
5Sony Xperia X
Closing the flagship line of Xperia Z series, Sony decided a moniker change in their devices. And Xperia X turned out to be a first descendent of the Xperia X series. However, the new Xperia X came out to bring the same taste in different attire. Excluding the upgrade of the front camera from 5.1MP to 13MP, there is no much change in the Xperia X as compared to its predecessor Z5. However, this superiority leveled out with a demotion of battery power from 2900 mAh to 2620 mAh and display size from 5.2” to 5.0”. Without an appreciable improvement and not much of the alluring specs, yet the price of the device costs a choking amount of 64,999. This not only turned disappointment among the consumers but also make Sony face criticism from the Sony fan base.
6Xiaomi MI5
Despite the price drop from 49,999 to 44,999, Xiaomi MI5 is still overpriced in Nepal. Not just through the price, Xiaomi disappointed the consumers with the display too as it sports only a Full HD resolution. MI5 seem eclipsed as its Chinese neighbors are offering superior specs under the same price range. By the introduction of OnePlus 3, OnePlus became the first to surpass MI5. With this device out in the market, MI have been just an acronym to the “Mission Impossible”. Through the rumors to include retina scanner and 4K display in the MI6, Xiaomi already got prying eyes on its device. However, we are obliged to wait till 2017 to watch the comeback. The only thing we can hope is the new device will not be disappointing.
