Before we begin, it’s worth emphasising that I’m not an AI hater by any means.
The technology is genuinely helpful, and I end up using it one way or another. You can’t really avoid it since it’s built into almost every platform and device now, including smartphones. In fact, most manufacturers seem to have shifted their focus almost entirely toward AI instead of bringing meaningful hardware improvements.
Every new phone launch, whether it’s your Google Pixels, Samsung Galaxys, or iPhones of the world, now revolves around AI as the main talking point rather than hardware. That’s evident even in events like Google I/O, which used to be about the Android platform but has now turned into an AI showcase.
AI is good, I admit, but we only need so much of it. What started as a cool, innovative concept has turned into something kitschy and often unnecessary. I am fine with my phone summarising my emails or making notes from my calls, but I also want features that actually add value. I’d rather have practical upgrades that actually improve my day-to-day life, like these four.
Faster charging tech
I’m the biggest advocate of fast charging, and I’m not going to trust anyone who says it ruins battery life. I’ve been using a phone that supports 100W charging for the last three years, and the battery has only degraded as much as a normal Samsung would with 25W charging. There’s really not much difference.
Yes, fast charging can accelerate degradation if it causes excessive heat, but most modern phones have Battery Management Systems (BMS) that prevent damage from overheating and overcharging by slowing down the charging rate when necessary.
Brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi have developed their own charging standards that enable fast charging up to 100W outside China. The latest Xiaomi 15T Pro even supports 50W wireless charging, which is incredible, given that no Samsung, Google, or Apple phone goes beyond 45W even when plugged in. It’s a shame that we pay a premium for these devices and still have to sit around for an hour or two to watch them charge.
Luke Baker
If you’ve experienced true fast charging daily, you know how painful it is to go back to a slow-charging phone. It starts dictating your plans, and you get battery anxiety the moment you forget to plug it in at night. Instead of adding more battery-hungry AI features that eat up compute power, manufacturers should focus on faster charging, something that actually makes a difference in everyday use.
A bigger battery
In 2025, the battery spec was back in the spotlight in a big way, and rightfully so.
Phones like the Oppo Find X9 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max now ship with 7,500 mAh batteries – that’s nearly 50 per cent larger than what you get on the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max or Galaxy S25 Ultra. The difference isn’t just theoretical, with real-world tests showing these devices last close to two days on a single charge.
Luke Baker
For years, the argument was that bigger batteries made phones bulky. That’s no longer true. Advances in stacked cells, silicon-carbon anodes, and power management systems allow manufacturers to pack more energy without adding weight or heat issues. Despite this, companies like Apple and Samsung have stayed conservative, rarely offering longevity that can truly compete with the best battery life phones.
Their hesitation isn’t about safety or practicality. It’s about comfort. With limited competition in key Western markets, they have little pressure to innovate. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers continue pushing limits, offering longer life and faster charging that redefine expectations. It’s time we start asking for a larger battery. When a mid-range phone lasts two days while a £1,200/$1200 flagship struggles to make it through one, the idea of premium begins to lose its meaning.
When a mid-range phone lasts two days while a £1,200/$1200 flagship struggles to make it through one, the idea of premium begins to lose its meaning
Usable PC integration
This one is long overdue, and it’s frankly embarrassing how fragmented the experience still is in 2026. Apple has nailed the ecosystem where your phone, laptop, and tablet communicate seamlessly. Copy something on your Mac, paste it on your iPhone. Get a call, answer it from your laptop. Start an email on one device, finish it on another without missing a beat.
Anurag Singh / Foundry
Android and Windows have tried to replicate this, but it still feels half-baked. Samsung’s DeX shows real potential by turning your phone into a desktop-like experience, but it’s limited to Samsung devices and requires specific hardware.
Microsoft’s Phone Link has improved a lot, yet it continues to suffer from inconsistent performance, delayed notifications, and frustrating compatibility issues across different Android manufacturers. The experience varies wildly depending on whether you’re using a Pixel, OnePlus, or Xiaomi device. I don’t understand why this is still the case. We already have the technology for universal standards that would let any Android phone communicate effortlessly with any Windows PC.
Better haptic feedback
This might sound like a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Many Android phones, even expensive ones, still struggle to deliver good haptic feedback.
You can feel it the moment you type or scroll. Instead of a subtle, tight vibration, you get a dull buzz or a cheap rattle. That’s because a lot of mid-range and even some premium devices still use low-quality vibration motors that fail to replicate the precise, controlled feedback you get on an iPhone or a Pixel.
Britta O’Boyle
Better haptics instantly make a phone feel more refined and responsive. They turn simple interactions like typing, unlocking, or scrolling into something tactile. They also improve accessibility by giving people a way to confirm actions without relying on visual cues. In gaming and creative apps, they can even add immersion, making the experience feel more physical and grounded.
The feel of a phone matters. You can pack in the best display, fastest chip, and smartest software, but if the vibration motor feels cheap, the experience feels cheap.
You can pack in the best display, fastest chip, and smartest software, but if the vibration motor feels cheap, the experience feels cheap.
Focus on what actually matters
I’m not against AI features. Some of them are genuinely useful.
But when every phone launch is just another round of AI gimmicks while basic hardware improvements get ignored, it’s frustrating. Fast charging, bigger batteries, seamless PC integration, and quality haptics aren’t flashy selling points, but they’re the things that make a phone better to use every single day.