14 DAY TRIAL // Leading mobile phone makers out there have already made official their flagship handsets for this year, but it seems that we are still in for some surprises before the year is over, as some of them are planning the release of new, premium versions of their products.
Currently, both HTC and Samsung are said to be aiming at the release of such devices, which will be nothing more than improved versions of their existing flagship phones, supposedly set to arrive on shelves under the name of HTC One M8 Prime and Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime, respectively.
By the looks of it, both these smartphones will be capable of offering better performance capabilities when compared to the current models, but this will come with a price, as both will certainly cost much more than their siblings.
These premium models are said to include 2K (1440 x 2560 pixels) touchscreens and faster, more powerful processors. along with a series of other improvements that should justify their higher prices.
Owning one of these sounds really great in theory, but we do feel that users might want to think twice before purchasing one, given that they are expected to cost much more compared to their currently available counterparts.
But that's not all. Smartphones that should come to the market with the same specifications as these premium models are expected to become official before the end of this month, practically eliminating the need to release Prime models.
At the same time, devices that come pretty close to the capabilities and build of such Prime phones are already official, and they feature prices lower even when compared to the normal Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8.
Quad HD screens, other high-end specs
First, let's have a look at what these two premium models are expected to include in terms of hardware, beside the Quad HD screens.
As far as rumor goes, both Galaxy S5 Prime and One M8 Prime will arrive on the market with Snapdragon 805 processors inside, as well as with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.
Samsung's smartphone is said to come with a bit larger screen, at 5.2-inch, but will keep the rest of the hardware specs and features similar to those inside Galaxy S5 now. It is also expected to replace the plastic build of Galaxy S5 with an aluminum body.
HTC's premium model, on the other hand, is said to swap the camera on the current model with an 18-megapixel one, and should also features a larger, 5.5-inch screen.
None of these devices has been officially announced as of now, but they should arrive within months: Galaxy S5 Prime in June, and One M8 Prime in September.
Before that, however, LG is expected to release its next flagship model in May, namely the LG G3, and is expected to pack it with the same specs that we might see in these premium models, but without adding the Prime tag to it.
LG G3 has been confirmed with a 5.5-inch WQHD (1440 x 2560 pixels) screen, and is said to also include a Snapdragon 805 CPU inside, along with 3GB of RAM and a 13MP camera capable of 4K video recording. It should also be water-resistant, a trend among today's high-end smartphones.
However, since it will be the “normal“ flagship phone from the South Korean vendor, it should be priced in line with other such devices available today, and not higher.
Undoubtedly, this phone will be able to prove a great alternative to a Prime device, even if it won't come from Samsung or HTC, meaning that fans of these two brands might not even consider looking at it.
I've never had an LG smartphone, though I did get the chance to put hands on many of them, but I must say that I would go for an LG G3, should it arrive with the same specs as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime or HTC One M8 Prime, but with a much lower price. The price should make a difference
No info on the cost of either of the three has been provided as of now, but I can imagine that, while the G3 will arrive at around $700 (€510), the other two will cost at least $900 (€655). This is mere speculation for the time being, so take it as such.
Should these Prime models indeed arrive on the market this year, they will face tight competition from other devices as well, yet another reason to think twice before considering the purchase of one of them.
One of these phones should be Nexus 6, which was somehow confirmed a few months ago, though info on its specs and capabilities is missing for the time being.
What is certain about this smartphone, however, is the fact that it will sport top-of-the-line specs and a pure Android experience, all in a package that will cost almost half of what flagship models cost at the moment.
This has happened with other Nexus models before, and should happen with what might prove to be the last smartphone in the series as well. It might not feature a 2K screen or 4K video recording capabilities, but I'm sure that many would gladly trade these in for a more affordable price.
In the end, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 easily prove great handsets on their own, without the need of additional enhancements to appeal to end users. At least when looking at the hardware specs that other smartphones announced so far this year come with.
Moreover, phones such as OnePlus One, which was made official with all the hardware of a flagship at a price of only $300 (€218), further confirm that going for a premium model might not be a good idea in the end.
After all, even if the new Prime handsets will be capable of more computing power, you might also want to ask yourselves whether it is indeed needed in a smartphone.
Undoubtedly, mobile devices will become even more powerful moving forth, but the fact that they will continue to sport small screens when compared to tablets, notebooks and desktops will still limit their functionality.
You might argue that these premium models won't have to offer only better performance, and that their build quality will also be improved, yet that might not actually justify their release within months after the current models.
Current phones are already dust- and water-resistant, they sport metallic bodies, and can also offer great performance levels, which makes me wonder whether the launch of Prime smartphones is anything but a marketing stunt, aimed at squeezing more money from enthusiasts.
Looking at the manner in which things have evolved in the smartphone market over the past few years, I'm convinced that we'll see such premium handsets sold as normal ones next year, and that they will also be rather affordable. Let me know what you think of it in the comment section below.