This year saw some really cool smartphones, which is why we here at editorji are going to share our top picks for the coolest smartphones of 2021. We’re talking folding phones, rollable phones, phones that save the environment and much, much more.
Best smartphones of 2021
Our list includes devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 foldables, that dominated sales charts across the world when it came to folding phones, while debuting some really cool technology. Then there's the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, that comes with a massive main sensor, up to 120x zoom and a cool secondary display on the back of the phone. We also have the Vivo X70 Pro+ here, that packed in arguably the best camera hardware we've seen in 2021 thanks to Zeiss-engineered optics and gimbal stabilisation.
Speaking of hardware, there's the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, that took everything cool about gaming smartphones and turned it up to 11. Not only does it get air triggers and a 144Hz refresh rate screen, but it also gets a mini-display at the back and a whopping 18GB RAM!
If you're not one for overkill though, then you'll appreciate the Fairphone 4, that's arguably the most sustainable smartphone of 2021. Its components can be replaced by the end user itself and it gets a 5 year warranty.
But we can't talk cool smartphones and not talk about the Oppo Find X3 Pro. On the face of it, it looks like a regular flagship, but its secret weapon is something no other phone has--a microscope camera!
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Speaking of cameras, a device that got upgraded optics this year was the Microsoft Surface Duo 2. It also got stereo speakers, NFC, better displays and a folding screen form factor unlike any other.
Last but definitely not the least, we had the Oppo X 2021, which technically never made it to production, but with a rollable display, it was arguably one of the coolest smartphones of 2021.
Also watch: Oppo X 2021: Hands-on with the world's first rollable phone!
Realme Smart House
The internet of things, or IoT as it called, brings myriad possibilities. A fully automated home used to be a dream for the future, but Realme wants to make it a reality in India.
Realme is working on a range of smart home products to augment their TechLife line of home products, that are aimed to make your house smarter than every before. We bring you a preview of Realme’s upcoming range of smart home products, which aim to make consumers’ life easier by accomplishing menial tasks automatically, so that they can focus on the most important tasks.
In Realme's Smart House, there's a smart version of pretty much every home device you can think of.
For starters, you’ve got the realme TechLife Smart Doorbell Camera, which works on a rechargeable battery. The camera can give you live feed of the person who rang your doorbell, wherever you are in the world. You’ll get a notification on your smartphone, and can then see who’s at your door. Of course, this is still an actual doorbell, which you can plug into any USB port anywhere in your house. Both devices do need to be connected to Wi-Fi.
Then, when you enter a room, you can activate the realme TechLife Smart Automatic Door Sensor. This device knows when you open or shut a door, and then can execute a series of tasks that you can customise as you like. So, for example, you could turn on the lights as you enter, and turn them off as you exit. You could do the same with the air purifier, or actually any other appliance, even if it’s not internet-enabled, by using the Realme Smart Plug. All of this is completely customisable through the Realme Link app.
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If you don’t want to connect these things to just the opening or closing of doors, there’s also a realme motion sensor that can also trigger any of these events. For example, you could turn on lights around the house as you walk around, that shut off when you leave.
The realme TechLife Air Purifier Pro is also an upcoming device that is wi-fi enabled, and can be controlled from anywhere in the world using your phone.
There are some really zany sensors that realme is working on. This temperature and humidity sensor, for example, which could be connected with an AC, to turn it on or off automatically when temperature hits a certain threshold. There’s also this water immersion sensor, which can be used in many creative ways, like notifying you when your water tank has filled up. All of these devices will interface with the Realme Link app.
Also Read: Realme GT 2 tipped to launch alongside Realme GT 2 Pro: report
And finally, there are also some more experimental devices being worked on at realme. Like these smart glasses, which currently are just tiny bluetooth speakers on either side of a pair of glasses. But from smart connectivity to bone conduction, the possibilities here are endless.
