Unlike the "darkest moment" of 2023, the smartphone market finally stabilized and showed signs of improvement in 2024. According to Canalys' report, global smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2024 increased by 5% year-on-year, reaching 310 million units—the best third-quarter performance since 2021. Although we have yet to obtain fourth-quarter data, smartphone sales during Double 11 surged by 26% year-on-year to 9.5 million units, indicating a promising year for the smartphone market in 2024.

The surge in sales is intricately linked to the enhanced product competitiveness. Unlike the "patchwork" approach of 2023 flagship phones, 2024 flagship devices have been more aggressive, with new processes, technologies, and features continually emerging. So, among the 2024 flagship phones, which products will play a pivotal role in the future development of mobile phones? As part of Leikeji's 2024 annual special report, this article will delve deeper.

vivo X200 Pro: Dual Flagships for Every Preference

Among this year's flagship phones, the vivo X200 Pro stands out as particularly special. While most brands awaited Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, vivo opted for MediaTek to gain a first-mover advantage. Additionally, the X200 Pro is one of the few models to offer a "Pro mini" variant.

Image Source: vivo

In terms of configuration, the X200 Pro employs a Dimensity 9400 processor paired with a robust memory combination of 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X (1TB variant uses LPDDR5X Ultra Pro quad-channel). Notably, most "mini" models on the market tend to have reduced memory, so vivo's approach of offering this configuration across the entire lineup is commendable.

For imaging, the vivo X200 Pro boasts the HP9 telephoto lens, jointly developed by vivo and Samsung, with a resolution of up to 200 million pixels and a sensor size of 1.14 inches, making it the largest and highest-resolution mobile telephoto sensor to date. This telephoto lens also incorporates the APO chromatic aberration control standard and T* Zeiss coating jointly developed by vivo and Zeiss, ensuring purer color performance.

For the main camera, vivo has partnered with Sony to introduce the new LYT-818 sensor, featuring 50 million pixels and a 1/1.28-inch super large sensor. Building on this new sensor, vivo has enabled 4K 120fps recording on Android, facilitating content creators to shoot slow-motion videos. Beyond its exceptional optical quality, the vivo X200 Pro utilizes the V3+ image signal processor and 20x telephoto AI algorithm, delivering outstanding imaging performance across all focal lengths.

How can a 2024 flagship phone be complete without AI? The vivo X200 series is the first to come with the newly upgraded OriginOS 5 system, leveraging built-in AI perception components to create a unique ecosystem experience. Firstly, the Atomic Island can not only intelligently determine notification priorities but also automatically identify the content being dragged by the user and match the desired app accordingly. Additionally, it includes a suite of functions such as XiaoV Search, XiaoV Note, and XiaoV Write.

Considering the price, vivo's X200 series this year targets two of the most vocal market segments—users who prioritize imaging and small-screen enthusiasts. Lei Tech boldly predicts that in next year's mobile phone market, flagship phones with "small screens + imaging" will become the next development direction for mobile phone brands.

Huawei Mate 70 Pro+: Red Maple Original Color Leads Imaging Innovation

As the most anticipated flagship phone of the second half of this year, the Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ also chooses to focus on imaging. However, beyond the common telephoto and image quality, Huawei has introduced "color" into the imaging competition among this year's flagship phones. With the Mate 70 Pro+, Huawei unveils its new color imaging system—Red Maple Original Color Imaging.

Image Source: Huawei

Utilizing the newly added multispectral color sensor (Red Maple Original Color Camera), the Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ accurately captures environmental colors without compromising image quality, enhancing color consistency and making photos appear more natural.

Moreover, compared to the Pro version, the Mate 70 Pro+ adopts a high-brightness titanium basalt body design, significantly enhancing its drop resistance. It also supports Beidou satellite messaging, Tiantong satellite calling, and satellite paging functions. The Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ is a culmination of Huawei's advancements in imaging, self-developed architectures, and battery technology in recent years.

Xiaomi 15 Pro: The All-Rounder that Delights All

From a design perspective, the Xiaomi 15 Pro marks the third generation of this design language. However, it is precisely because of Xiaomi's years of refinement that the Xiaomi 15 Pro has approached "perfection" in product details, becoming a masterpiece of 2024's "all-rounder flagship" devices.

Image Source: Xiaomi

In terms of performance, the Xiaomi 15 Pro utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor, full-blooded LPDDR5X memory, and a vapor chamber cooling system to deliver flagship-level performance. For imaging, Xiaomi's self-built Xiaomi AISP 2.0 large-model computational photography platform and Leica colors elevate the imaging capabilities of the Xiaomi 15 Pro to a new level.

Features such as ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, sunlight-readable display, Jinshajiang battery, and support for all major network standards also demonstrate Xiaomi's capability for horizontal development. Not to mention XiaoAI, which has a massive user base in China. It can be said that the Xiaomi 15 Pro has emerged as the "all-rounder" among 2024 flagship phones and one of the products with the highest fault tolerance when consumers are unsure what to buy.

OPPO Find X8 Pro: Embracing Apple Flair, Just for the Youth

As mentioned in previous review articles, OPPO has made a remarkable comeback this year: from the Reno12 series' straight screen and LivePhoto at the beginning of the year to the Find X8 series' emphasis on Apple-like design and blur-free snapshot capabilities, each new feature has directly targeted deep users of social media.

Image Source: OPPO

Taking this year's flagship Find X8 Pro as an example, OPPO has thoroughly implemented its "user-centric" product strategy in every detail of imaging, system, and hardware interaction. In a nutshell, it's about "creating features that young people love" so that consumers can meet their needs in a simpler way. With this approach, the OPPO Find X8 series has achieved remarkable sales results, with first-day sales doubling that of its predecessor.

While it's undeniable that the OPPO Find X8 Pro may have overdone it in some product details, such as the camera button, which has a rather average actual experience, from an overall perspective, the detail-oriented Find X8 Pro is still an excellent flagship phone that is sufficiently attractive to users.

Although it's not OPPO's final ace, it can already compete with various ultra-premium models on the market in terms of imaging. Some Lei Tech friends have even specifically bought the Find X8 Pro because of its AI anti-glare capabilities, demonstrating the sincerity of this year's Find X8 Pro.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: The "Regular Flagship" Losing Its Luster

When discussing this year's flagship phones, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is an unavoidable topic. As the main improvement, Apple has added a camera button to the iPhone's frame this year. First, Lei Tech must admit that Apple is indeed ahead of other manufacturers in terms of aesthetics. This new camera button blends seamlessly with the frame. To distinguish it from the power button, Apple thoughtfully covered its surface with sapphire material, providing a pleasant tactile feel. However, the problem is that this button is not very useful and has received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

Image Source: Apple

In terms of performance, the A18 Pro processor in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is indeed commendable, and the larger memory also makes the 16 Pro Max a future-proof iPhone, at least not becoming a shortcoming in the mobile experience in the short term. However, it's also important to note that Android flagship processors have seen significant improvements in recent years, and A-series processors have lagged behind Snapdragon and Dimensity processors due to issues such as heat dissipation.

This year's iPhone 16 Pro Max can still be considered a flagship phone, but if Apple continues to slack off, even the mighty iPhone will eventually lose its status.

Honor Magic 7 Pro: The "Fully Autonomous" AI Phone

The Magic 7 Pro retains the basic design of its predecessor, the Magic 6 Pro, and the widely acclaimed equal-depth micro-curved screen. The standard version's all-day AI eye protection Oasis screen is also included, providing excellent grip and visual experience.

For imaging, the Magic 7 Pro still adopts a wide-angle + telephoto + ultra-wide-angle triple-camera setup. The main camera uses the same H9000 sensor as its predecessor, and the periscope telephoto lens features a custom 200-megapixel sensor with a 1/1.4-inch super large sensor and F2.6 aperture, supporting ultra-dynamic eagle-eye snapshot and telephoto macro photography.

To cater to the needs of users who want to "slack off" in the AI era, Magic 7's smart assistant can not only handle text editing and photo adjustments but also actively adapts to users' preferences and daily habits: Just say, "I want to try something special today," and Magic 7 will recommend unique dining spots based on location and user preferences.

It can be said that the Honor Magic 7 series is not only an upgrade in AI technology but also a new starting point for the development of AI phones. Its emergence may lead the future trend of smartphones in terms of personalized user experience, driving the industry towards the direction of "the more AI, the more it understands you."

Nubia Z70 Ultra: The Most Radical Imaging "Tent" Flagship

Initially, Lei Tech had modest expectations for the Z70 Ultra, as the phone was initially known only for its "anti-notch elite" design. However, as a representative of the "the more you use it, the more surprises it brings," the Z70 Ultra delivers a very positive experience with its excellent camera and AI capabilities.

Image Source: Nubia

As the first domestic phone to boast "star trail photography," Nubia has always been competitive in imaging hardware and algorithms. On the Z70 Ultra, Nubia has prepared a luxurious camera system. Even when using the default auto mode, the three rear cameras of the Z70 Ultra produce impressive images, with rich and optically accurate natural bokeh effects in both foreground and background, unlike some AI bokeh effects that look fake at a glance.

In terms of AI, the Z70 Ultra also offers a "Future Mode." In this mode, the Z70 Ultra's "home screen" is reduced to a single AI interaction button. Pressing or voice-activating it allows users to complete complex commands through AI, making it the most radical AI phone of the year—most phones only dare to use AI interaction as a secondary method, with users still primarily operating the phone themselves. However, the Z70 Ultra's Future Mode showcases the potential for AI to become the primary interaction method for phones.

2025 Flagship Phones: Imaging Becomes a Basic Skill, AI is the Greatest Common Divisor

Today's flagship phones are more than just top-of-the-line devices; they are like wind vanes for the mobile phone industry. For example, last year's iPhone used software to fix hardware flaws, introducing the Dynamic Island interaction, which was quickly adopted by domestic phone brands. This year's iPhone introduced "Camera Controls," once again leading the mobile phone industry.

As flagship phones serve as the vane and guide for the future mobile phone industry, we can discern many industry trends for the 2025 mobile phone market from this year's flagship offerings.

Image Source: vivo

Firstly, imaging capabilities, especially telephoto imaging and video capabilities, will become basic skills in the future mobile phone industry. Users are no longer satisfied with simple high pixel counts but expect phones to actively understand shooting scenarios and retain objective details while adding the phone's "own" elements, such as the distinctive tones and watermarks of various phone brands. To say nothing of other aspects, looking at the flagship phones of 2024, photos and videos are not just icing on the cake but the foundation upon which everyone competes.

On the other hand, flagship phones in 2025 will also continue to make significant strides in AI capabilities. Judging from the performance of 2024 flagship phones, AI has become one of the most significant innovations in mobile phones that consumers are concerned about. Almost all hit phones this year have mentioned their AI capabilities, with the only exception being the iPhone 16 Pro, which has not yet launched in mainland China with Apple's intelligent features, receiving far more criticism than praise from users.

Ultimately, no matter how big the pie a brand draws at a press conference, the functions that consumers can actually use are the true innovations. I hope that the flagship smartphone market in 2025 can continue the innovative momentum of 2024 and bring us more novel ideas about the potential of smartphones in the AI era.