Happy Hari Raya Aidiladha - a day where we commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim who was willing to sacrifice Prophet Ishmael to show his loyalty to God's command. At the last moment, Prophet Ishmael was replaced by a goat and the faith of Prophet Ibrahim was successfully proven. In conjunction with Hari Raya Korban, we list 10 “sacrifices” made by device manufacturers by introducing new technologies to the market. Was each of his sacrifices worth it? Only you can answer it.
1. Removable Battery
The removable battery was a feature that was the pride of Android users in the early days of the smartphone war with the iPhone. With the availability of removable batteries, it has become a common norm to buy a second battery that is then installed on the phone after the first battery runs out of charge.
The battery can be replaced on its own when inflated without having to go to the store. The removable battery feature is sacrificed in order to provide IP68 capability on modern devices. If the removable battery feature is still necessary for you, the Samsung Galaxy Cover series is a handful of IP68 devices that still offer it.
2. Front Stereo Speaker
The HTC One M7 is the device that started the stereo speaker trend that shot forward using BoomSound technology in 2013. Then this trend was followed by other manufacturers before being sacrificed in order to produce a smartphone with a larger screen without a large bezel, chin and forehead. Is this sacrifice worth it? For us it may not be because good audio is more important than the widely used 19: 9 screen
3. Different Android Interface On Devices
Of the many features sacrificed, this may be one feature that we are not sad is no longer happening. Almost all manufacturers that use Android with GMS officially now use a launcher whose design is very similar to the original Android. One UI, ColorOS, OxygenOS, MIUI, Realme UI and OriginOS are among the launchers that have now lost their original identity. OriginOS from Vivo for example is no longer similar to iOS while it still uses the name Funtouch OS.
But should we realize that without HTC Sense, Samsung TouchWiz and Sony Timescape, we probably wouldn’t have the Android interface right now. Many interesting features such as Multi Window for example were not developed by Google but by manufacturers who use Android licenses.
4.Physical Keyboard
The physical keyboard went extinct from the market around 2018 with the Blackberry KEY2 LE. Blackberry as a manufacturer of smartphones with its own physical keyboard has withdrawn from the market. Admittedly full touch screen devices are more capable of going through more things but the physical keyboard allows for a faster and more visible typing process.
5. 3.5mm Audio Jack
Do you miss the 3.5mm audio jack? We are not because we have moved completely into the wireless audio accessory ecosystem. But the audio jack still has many advantages such as no time lag during gaming sessions, better audio with DAC and no need to charge earphones/headphones every few days. Prick and listen without worry.
But after the Oppo R5 started the trend of throwing away audio jacks in 2014, it was then popularized by the iPhone 7 in 2016. Now it’s rare for a flagship device to come with features that are sacrificed in order to increase battery capacity. The Sony Xperia 1 IV and ASUS ROG Phone 6 Pro are among the modern flagship devices that still have audio jacks.
6. FM/AM Radio
Do you remember before radio support was standard on all phones including smartphones and regular pants phones. But lately radios are no longer provided simultaneously with the disposal of 3.5mm audio jacks. Radio applications require wired earphones to function as aerials. Without aerials there would be no more radios on modern smartphones. Because of this sacrifice, we need to use apps to listen to radio online now.
7.Charger With Every Purchase
Nothing is another company that won’t give a charger head on a given smartphone. Like audio jacks, the trend of sacrificing these charger heads was started by Apple for the sake of wanting to reduce electronic waste. Samsung and Xiaomi trailed behind Apple despite initially slashing their competitors on social media. The trend is no charger with every time buyer yet in the early stages but it will become prevalent in the near future. Enjoy a free charger for as long as you can.
8. Infrared Transmitter
Infrared transmitters were formerly a standard feature on Android flagship devices. With an infrared transmitter, doing the prank of changing the Astro channel in the mamak shop when a goal is almost scored can be done by naughty people. This feature is sacrificed on the majority of modern landmark devices to force the use of internet of things technology. Everything can only be done with the internet now. If you still need an IR transmitter, please buy Xiaomi and Huawei devices that still realize it is important especially for those who still
9. MicroSD Card Support
Micro SD 1TB
Support for adding storage using a microSD card is provided on Android devices because when the operating system is launched, the device comes with a small 4GB of storage. Now 128GB storage has become the norm and manufacturers are starting to sacrifice microSD card support because it is said to be slower than UFS storage. But we have a conspiracy theory it is to encourage users to buy cloud storage subscriptions.
10. Navigation Ball
A navigation ball or more popularly called a trackball is a feature that was once popular on early generation Blackberry and Android devices. It is included to make it easier for users to navigate menus and also to correct typing errors. Like a physical keyboard, it is sacrificed as the touch screen becomes more precise in detecting touch makes. The Google Nexus S launched in 2010 with the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system no longer requires a trackball and this feature is extinct as it is no longer supported.