How Android smartphones have overtaken iPhone and Samsung

Hi all.

I recently attended an Infinix presentation where one of the standout exhibits was a smartphone frozen in a block of ice. The installation was intended to demonstrate the concept of a battery resistant to sub-zero temperatures.

After the event, I shared photos of a smartphone frozen in ice with friends (not because they were talking about technology, but because it was beautiful). Well, I heard that all this is nonsense and that the conventional iPhone and Samsung are still better.

This gave me the idea to talk about how little people understand technology and how much they believe in well-structured marketing campaigns.

I in no way want to disparage the venerable giants of the smartphone industry. However, over the past few years I have increasingly noticed how the so-called market leaders are resting on their laurels. This lies in the fact that instead of technological innovations, customers are given new wrapper designs, simultaneously increasing prices.

Let’s look at my hypothesis using actual examples. I believe that it will be possible to make a series of articles. And in this issue we’ll talk about chargers and batteries. As always, I invite you to express your opinions in the comments.

Table of Contents

Battery

So, Inifnix presented the Infinix Note 40 Pro smartphone, which went on sale for 25,999 rubles (the price is important, pay attention to it, as we compare it with the iPhone, Galaxy and other flagships). The smartphone has a 5000 mAh battery that can withstand 1600 cycles before its capacity drops to 80%.

It is believed that when the battery capacity drops below 80%, it should be replaced, as it can discharge quickly in the cold and also produce stable power. This brings to mind the textbook story about iPhones, which, as the battery aged, began to work slower precisely because Apple was trying to extend the battery life using software methods.

Accordingly, looking at the promise of 1600 cycles, buyers take this for granted, believing that since Inifnix gives this, then smartphones costing many tens of thousands of rubles should be even better.

However, Apple writes on its website that batteries in iPhone 14 and older models can withstand 500 cycles, and starting with iPhone 15 – 1000 cycles. Samsung, in turn, does not indicate the number of cycles, which suggests (here I can also use my experience as a long-time user of the brand) that we are talking about 500 cycles.

The reasons why two large manufacturers do not strive to be at the peak of innovation are banal.

So, batteries that can withstand 1600 cycles rather than 500 are more expensive. A more expensive battery means you have to either raise prices or cut your own margins. And why, if buyers still have little understanding of this issue.

Another reason is that when a smartphone begins to discharge quickly, it is either replaced with a new one or taken to a service center to replace the battery. As you can imagine, both options are suitable because they allow you to earn more money.

Battery operation at sub-zero temperatures

We published a separate article in which the editor-in-chief, using the example of Infinix Note 40 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Honor Magic6 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, tested the statement about innovative batteries that work reliably in the cold. Smartphones were placed in a freezer at -18 degrees. And Infinix, by the way, was the only one to show that in the cold it works exactly the same as at room temperature.

Of course, it’s nice when a smartphone works exactly the same in the cold and you don’t have to be afraid that the device will turn off unexpectedly. Frost resistance will be especially useful after 1-2 years, when the battery begins to degrade. You may note that in the test conducted by the editor-in-chief, the iPhone 14 Pro suffers the most, because it is the oldest smartphone.

However, in my opinion, something else is more important here. Frost, like excessive heat, leads to battery degradation. And in this case, what is more important is that Infinix managed to reduce the battery’s susceptibility to cold, that is, slow down the degradation process, and therefore, such a battery will last longer.

	Case temperature, Celsius, 5 minutes	Case temperature, Celsius, 15 minutes	Case temperature, Celsius, 30 minutes	Battery consumption in %
Infinix Note 40 Pro	36.6	39.7	42.1	12
Honor Magic6 Pro	37.5	43.5	45.6	8
iPhone 14 Pro Max	32.5	36.2	41.6	5
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	32.8	38.5	42.7	10

Charger

Charging power is a consequence of saving on batteries. For example, Infinix comes with a 70W adapter. The other day I reviewed the Oppo Reno 11F, which has a 67 W adapter. Samsung or Apple, firstly, do not come with an adapter. And secondly, its power does not exceed 25 W.

And the same Infinix includes a powerful adapter in the kit, because the smartphone has a modern battery, and the engineers carefully worked on cooling (a lot of heat is generated during fast charging). All this means additional costs for components, engineering, the increasingly complex process of assembling devices, etc.

And then Samsung fans will say that you can buy 45 W adapters for the brand’s flagships, and they will fall into a marketing trap.

So, if you take a Samsung adapter with a power of 25 W and a regular adapter with a power of 65 W, it turns out that they charge the smartphone at the same speed. Why is this happening? Because Samsung uses a special PPS version of USB Power Delivery technology in order to force them to buy branded adapters at high prices (by the way, it’s a similar story with Oppo and their SuperVOOOC standard, adjusted for the fact that Oppo branded adapters are relatively inexpensive). However, even if you buy an expensive 45 W adapter, the user will be disappointed. The time difference with regular charging will be only 5-10 minutes. And what difference does it make whether a smartphone is charged in 65 or 70 minutes?

Apple is being more honest in this regard. The company simply says that fully charging the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes 1 hour and 50 minutes (I took an electric Moskvich for text, and it charges faster).

Wireless charger

For a long time, wireless charging was the domain of flagships. Yes, in principle, it remains. Outside the premium segment, this option is almost impossible to find. Again, it’s a matter of price. Wireless charging (like fast wired charging) produces excess heat, which can cause the battery to overheat. And this is harmful, as it leads to accelerated degradation of the device.

And there are two points here. Flagship devices are equipped with an enhanced cooling system, factoring its cost into the price. But, as practice shows, companies are not too zealous. You remember that the faster the battery deteriorates, the faster the buyer will go for a new phone?

The right companies, when introducing wireless charging, simultaneously cover the battery with many sensors that monitor voltage and temperature. Particularly advanced ones even install a separate microprocessor, which only does what is responsible for charging. So, the Infinix Note 40 Pro has a Cheetah X1 chip, which, depending on the scenario (heat, cold, how powerful the adapter is, etc.) controls charging. Samsung doesn’t bother with this kind of thing. Yes, in principle, Samsung doesn’t need this, since the manufacturer uses only low-power chargers.

Smart features

Power bypassing the battery

A very simple and useful feature that was previously found only in gaming smartphones on Android.

Games drain the battery the fastest, simultaneously leading to increased heating (both the chipset and the battery get hot). Infinix was the first to add a feature to civilian smartphone models that allows power to be supplied bypassing the battery. The uniqueness of Infinix’s approach here is that in the “power bypass battery” settings, you can use it not only for games, but also for any applications.

Thanks to this function, the smartphone does not discharge during the game, and also heats up less. The iPhone does not have such a function. And Samsung has recently appeared, but the company does not advertise it and hides it in the settings. Because manufacturers are interested in making the battery age faster, and then, you remember, either change the battery or the smartphone. In any case, pay the money.

Smart charging

Apple and Samsing simply limited charging to 80% (there is now such an option in the settings) of the maximum capacity, citing the fact that this way the battery will last longer. Although in fact this is an attempt to avoid switching to more expensive batteries that can withstand more recharge cycles.

Infinix, whose battery can withstand 1600 cycles, offers an option where the smartphone is charged to 80%, and then slowly charged to 100%. This is a convenient option if you charge your smartphone overnight.

Infnix can offer this option because it uses batteries with a longer lifespan. And it’s funny that a smartphone for 26 thousand rubles has a battery life 2-3 times longer than smartphones 4-5 times more expensive.

Conclusion

Marketing in technology is necessary because it allows people to know about new technologies. However, it is bad when marketing is used to manipulate and replace facts with emotions.

With this article I would like to highlight the state of affairs. And in theory, if there is a lot of such materials, buyers will begin to think and ask questions about what and why they spend money. And then either the companies will respond, or new leaders will appear in the smartphone market, and a new development cycle will begin.