2024 marks a pivotal year for AI hardware and technological advancements.

The consensus within the AI industry leans towards focusing on applications rather than sheer parameters. On one hand, AI capabilities are intensively integrated into hardware, leading to an explosion of AI-powered devices such as mobile phones, PCs, household appliances, automobiles, cleaning robots, smart home devices, headphones, cameras, and storage solutions. On the other hand, AI is profoundly transforming software, with native AI applications like Wen Xiaoyan and Doubao becoming ubiquitous, and AI reshaping search engines, input methods, browsers, payment systems, office software, and e-commerce platforms.

AI has emerged as the 'magic wand' of technological innovation, and this is merely the beginning.

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As 2024 draws to a close, the mobile phone market has witnessed numerous transformations: larger batteries, more potent cameras, trendy designs, and eye-catching aesthetics. Among these, the offline mid-range market, often overlooked by tech enthusiasts, has been the most dynamic segment.

Mid-range offline mobile phones consistently rank among manufacturers' top-selling series. What makes these phones so appealing? This opportunity presents itself to revisit the outstanding offline mid-range mobile phones of the past year with Lei Tech. These models stand out in design, configuration, camera capabilities, and system performance. After reading Lei Tech's summary, everyone will surely have their own answers.

'Apple-like' design meets Chinese aesthetics in a fiercely competitive offline mobile phone market

2024 has indeed witnessed a remarkable explosion in the offline mobile phone market. Unlike 2023, when manufacturers were focused on design trends and stacking configurations, this year they seem to have unanimously embarked on pursuing feature innovations. For instance, vivo's S20 series introduced a one-shot film camera, OPPO Reno13 boasts LivePhoto, and Honor's 300 series features ultra-clear travel photography. So, which models among this year's offline mid-range phones deserve our attention? Fret not, as I will delve into each one and select the top seven 'offline mobile phones' of 2024.

1. OPPO Reno12: The Pioneer of Android Live Photos

The two standout features of this year's offline mid-range mobile phones—LivePhoto and 'Apple-like' design—both originated from the OPPO Reno12 series. The standard Reno12 even adopted the slogan of a 'trendy small straight screen,' making its target audience evident.

(Source: OPPO)

Overall, Reno12 can be considered a hallmark offline mid-range mobile phone this year. It returns to a minimalist design, replacing the previous circular camera module with a rectangular one for a visually refreshing look. Moreover, it pioneered the ability for Android phones to capture and share LivePhotos. Since this phone's release, mobile phones incapable of capturing/sharing LivePhotos have become outdated.

Beyond its symbolic significance, Reno12 is an excellent phone in its own right, featuring the first-ever Dimensity 8250 Star Speed Edition processor, a DSLR-grade portrait triple-camera setup, and a bright silver Y2K millennium-style design, capturing the attention of many student groups.

2. Xiaomi Civi4 Pro: Ultra-lightweight and Leica Imaging

The competitiveness of this year's offline mobile phone market is evident in Xiaomi's offerings. With the Civi4 Pro, Xiaomi spared no expense in equipping this series with powerful camera configurations by integrating the same Leica imaging technology found in its flagship models. It even received the AISP image large model algorithm before the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro, making it worthy of being called the "eldest princess" of the Xiaomi family.

(Source: Xiaomi)

What makes Xiaomi Civi4 Pro more representative is its balance. Among the many models focusing on aesthetics, fashion, and the offline market this year, it is the first to use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 mobile platform. It also employs the same 1.5K resolution Hsinchu Optoelectronics C8 luminous material as the digital series, offering both performance and aesthetics.

However, Xiaomi Civi4 Pro's ultra-lightweight design makes it challenging to balance the energy consumption of this flagship chip, and its 4700mAh battery capacity is indeed on the smaller side this year. Additionally, the former product manager of the Civi series, Xinxin, has been rotated to REDMI, signaling potential adjustments to the series in the future. Perhaps next year, we will witness a more comprehensive and versatile Xiaomi Civi product.

3. Huawei nova 12 Ultra: The Most Stylish HarmonyOS Mid-range Phone

As the flagship model of Huawei's nova series, the nova 12 Ultra boasts numerous flagship-level configurations, such as enhanced communication networks and the same Kunlun glass as the Mate series. The nova series is renowned for its fashionable and avant-garde design, and the nova 12 Ultra is one of the few offline mid-range phones this year that still insists on using a leather back cover, providing an excellent grip and texture.

(Source: Huawei)

In the recent HarmonyOS NEXT upgrade plan, the nova 12 Ultra became the first model in the nova series to support an upgrade to pure-blooded HarmonyOS. For consumers seeking the HarmonyOS NEXT experience without preferring the business-oriented style of the Mate series, this is undoubtedly the best choice.

However, since the nova series is positioned as mid-range, there may be performance discrepancies under extreme scenarios compared to Huawei's Mate and Pura series. For example, the nova 12 Ultra only has a 4600mAh battery capacity and does not support wireless charging. The nova 12 series' continued popularity primarily stems from its excellent HarmonyOS experience, relatively balanced configuration, and impeccable fashion sense.

4. realme 13 Pro+: Unmatched Thousand-yuan Periscope Telephoto

In most consumers' minds, realme should be a brand primarily targeting the online market. Especially after becoming an independent entity, realme virtually had no offline channels. However, this year, realme officially announced plans for offline stores, primarily located in university towns. Judging from the update rhythm and configuration of realme's digital series this year, capturing a share of the offline mid-range market is also one of realme's goals for next year.

(Source: realme)

What surprised me most about the realme 13 Pro+ is the inclusion of an IMX882 periscope telephoto lens at a price below 2000 yuan. This lens is the same one used in this year's OPPO Find X8, and the price difference between the two phones is nearly double. However, for mid-range phones, every flagship-level configuration necessitates a trade-off by weakening another hardware component. The only regret with the realme 13 Pro+ is its relatively weaker processor.

From a market perspective, the realme 13 Pro+ has also sparked the popularity of low-cost telephoto lenses. Subsequently, brands including OPPO, vivo, and Honor have also incorporated periscope telephoto designs into their mid-range phones, which is indeed good news for consumers.

5. vivo S20 Pro: Flagship-level, Best-in-Class

Since the S18 series, vivo has discovered the S series' survival strategy: using flagship-level configurations to compete. The vivo S20 Pro employs the Dimensity 9300+ mobile platform, and both its main and telephoto cameras utilize the same sensors as the X200 series. Notably, this telephoto lens is the S series' first periscope design with an equivalent 85mm focal length. Additionally, vivo has introduced the 'Stage Telephoto' mode, akin to the X200 Pro. Indeed, it is the most comprehensively equipped model in its class regarding various configurations.

The S20 Pro also introduces a one-shot mode and new film filters. Popular features such as high-definition LivePhoto and ultra-clear portraits are also available. Crucially, unlike OPPO's 'Apple-like' design, the vivo S series has always adhered to a Chinese aesthetic. The current Phoenix Feather Gold and Purple Aura colors embody Oriental beauty.

6. Honor 300 Ultra: Fully Loaded Peripheral Configurations

After many years, Honor has reintroduced a super-sized model in its digital series. Unlike the previous Honor 70 Pro+, this time it is directly positioned as an 'Ultra' model, boasting luxurious configurations and performance.

(Source: Honor)

The Honor 300 Ultra is arguably the most balanced offline mid-range mobile phone this year. Performance-wise, it is powered by the third-generation Snapdragon 8 mobile platform. For communication, it supports Beidou satellite communication and Wi-Fi 7 high-speed wireless networks. In terms of peripheral configurations, it features 3D ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, a natural light-like Oasis eye-care screen, and hardware-level circular polarization technology.

Comprehensively, the Honor 300 series' approach somewhat mirrors that of the vivo S20 series, but Honor offers more of the latest flagship technologies in its super-sized model. This means consumers can enjoy these top-notch experiences at a lower price. However, considering its price of 4199 yuan, the Honor 300 Ultra is close to the base price of the Magic7 standard edition, blurring the line between the two models.

7. moto S50: The Most Vibrant Small-Screen Mid-range Phone

Who would have thought that this year's first small-screen mid-range phone would come from moto?

(Source: moto)

The moto S50's standout feature is its 6.3-inch small straight screen, complemented by the 2024 Pantone Colors of the Year: Latte, Flower Blue, and Lucky Orange, offering a full visual and handling experience. The S50's overall configuration is also balanced, with 15W wireless charging, the Dimensity 7300 mobile platform, and a 10-megapixel 3X telephoto lens. Essentially, its performance, charging, and imaging capabilities are all commensurate with its mid-range positioning.

In recent years, moto has garnered more market attention for its foldable phone product line. As a pioneer in vertically foldable phones, moto has demonstrated sincerity in every iteration and upgrade. However, in my opinion, 2024 is also a year when moto is making great strides in the mid-range market, especially with the moto S50, which is compact, stylish, and balanced, coupled with a price of around 2000 yuan. It has virtually no direct competitors in the same segment.

Overall, the offline mid-range mobile phone market in 2024 is characterized by a 'hundred flowers blooming' scenario. Besides prioritizing design, many manufacturers have also targeted diverse features, telephoto imaging, and colorful designs to capture consumers' attention. So, which offline mobile phone do you believe shows the most sincerity this year? Share your thoughts.

Innovation: The Core Theme of the Offline Mobile Phone War

There was a time when offline mid-range mobile phones were seen as using outdated flagship technologies, average-performing processors, and lacking unique camera features, leading most consumers to have a negative impression of such phones, even labeling them as 'vases'—attractive in design but lacking functionality.

However, this year, these underdog offline mid-range phones are leading the mobile phone market's direction.

Firstly, the advent of LivePhoto has introduced new gameplay and directions to mobile imaging. OPPO pioneered the ability to capture and share LivePhotos on the Android platform with the Reno12 series earlier this year. Since then, flagship models such as the OPPO Find X8 series, vivo X200 series, and Honor Magic7 series have joined the LivePhoto camp.

(Source: OPPO)

Notably, just half a year later, OPPO introduced 2K high-definition LivePhoto capture, front and rear 1.5-second recording, and AI high-definition cover reshaping functions on the Reno13 series. These new camera features have provided consumers with a completely different shooting experience. As of now, the features first introduced on the Reno13 series have yet to be rolled out to the flagship Find X8 series.

Secondly, ultra-large-capacity batteries have given offline consumers, who already prioritize long battery life, more choices. This has also benefited the flagship mobile phone segment, prompting manufacturers to invest heavily in the development of silicon anode batteries and semi-solid batteries to increase capacity while reducing thickness. As early as 2021, vivo attempted to introduce a 6000mAh battery on the vivo Y55s, but the technology at the time could not effectively manage the relationship between volume and capacity, resulting in a phone thickness of 9.17mm.

(Image source: vivo)

Creating a super-large capacity battery for mid-range phones is not a challenging task, primarily because these devices do not necessitate high-performance specifications nor extensive cooling systems. Perhaps the market consensus that a larger battery equates to longer battery life has motivated manufacturers to develop batteries with higher energy densities. Currently, both vivo's S series and Honor's digital series have adopted batteries with energy densities that are comparable to, or even surpass, those found in flagship models.

From a user experience perspective, the most notable emerging trend in the offline mid-range phone market is "ruggedness and durability."

Last July, the Honor X50 was officially released, garnering significant consumer support due to its durability features. Official statistics reveal that by October of this year, global sales of the Honor X50 had reached 15 million units, firmly establishing it at the top of the Android market. Following the launch of the X50, offline mid-range phones have also started to emphasize features like drop and scratch resistance. Examples include vivo's S19 and S20, both released this year and equipped with Diamond Shield dual-resistant glass, and OPPO's incorporation of drop resistance in the K12 and A3 series, emphasizing long-term durability.

(Image source: Honor)

It is evident that compared to flagship and online-exclusive phones, offline mid-range models offer tangible innovations such as enhanced overall quality, appealing and trendy color options, engaging camera features like LivePhoto, and robustness and durability. These are benefits that consumers can immediately perceive when handling the phones in offline stores. This might explain why, despite not always featuring top-tier hardware for their price range, such offline phones often outperform performance-focused models in sales.

This year has been particularly aggressive for offline mid-range phones, with manufacturers going all out to boost sales and market share. However, according to PD Observatory reports, the growth rates of OPPO, vivo, and Honor's offline mid-range phones were not substantial in the first half of this year. Considering the short update cycle and long sales cycle of these devices, market sales feedback tends to lag. For instance, vivo's S17e, released last year, continues to enjoy solid sales this year.

With policies such as national subsidies, consumer vouchers, and trade-in incentives, consumers are increasingly likely to purchase new phones from offline stores, creating a favorable opportunity for manufacturers. Consequently, the latest wave of offline mid-range phones released in the second half of the year has shown greater sincerity and a more pronounced sense of competition compared to those released in the first half. The offline market will remain a significant arena for the foreseeable future, and devising strategies to stimulate consumer upgrades will be crucial for manufacturers. This year, we have witnessed highlights that have won over consumers with innovative features, and it remains to be seen what tactics manufacturers will employ next year. We eagerly anticipate their next moves.

Source: Leitech