With 2017 coming to a close in a few weeks, Google’s The Year in Search blog post revealed the five most googled smartphones of the year, for the Philippines. However, the list may or may not surprise you.
The Philippines = Apple and Selfie Smartphone Lovers?
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- Huawei Nova 2i
- OPPO F5
- OPPO F1s
To top things off, Apple dominated the Google PH search engines this year, taking the top two spots with the iPhone X being the Number One most searched phone of 2017. Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 occupied the Number Two spot, making sure the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone brand ends strong. Furthermore, it’s interesting to note how Apple didn’t reveal anything about the iPhone X and iPhone 8 until September of this year. This means that the brand generated most of its attention and fanfare via word-of-mouth and speculation.
Honestly, one could argue that the top two spots were expected to go to Apple and their continuously ultra-popular iPhone line. Thus, the real stinger here involves finding out that Huawei took the Number Three spot with the Nova 2i. Looking back, the Huawei Nova 2i sort of came out of nowhere, and shocked some who thought that they were solely focused on their flagships at the time. Furthermore, the appeal and popularity of the Nova 2i comes from its lower, more affordable price point. This means that for many people with a small budget, this might be their first time getting a Huawei.
Lastly, OPPO dominates the bottom two spots, which may not seem like much. However, note that their direct competitor, Vivo, is nowhere to be found on the list. In context, then, we see that OPPO wins 2017’s Selfie smartphone battle, and will carry this momentum moving forward. Even more surprising is the sustained popularity of the OPPO F1s, which came out last year. None of this feels surprising though, as even the F1s carries a lot of name recognition thanks to being one of the first phones to truly change the Selfie game in mobile devices. Especially considering that the Philippine market loves its social media and selfies.
Apple and Nintendo Dominate Global Consumer Tech Trends
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- Nintendo Switch
- Samsung Galaxy S8
- Xbox One X
On a global scale, Apple continues their brand dominance in the Consumer Tech category. Similar to the Philippine results, the iPhone X and 8 take the Number One and Two spots respectively. Again, not a surprise as most of the world seems enamoured and excited by the upcoming release of the iPhone X. Plus, a lot of the buzz came even before the official unveiling.
A big revelation here (although not surprising) involves the Nintendo Switch taking the third spot. In 2016, the idea that Nintendo would become a global trend setter and game-changer would’ve sounded hilariously misguided. However, this year, with the Nintendo Switch hitting 10 million units sold within its first 9 months, things definitely changed a lot. Consumers love the hybrid home-and-portable console, even gaining the attention of competitors Sony and Xbox. Speaking of which, Sony did not even breach the Top 5, which warrants the recent news that they could no longer ignore the Switch. This is so surprising, especially when the Xbox One X nabbed the fifth place.
Lastly, Samsung challenges Apple’s smartphone dominance by securing the Number Four spot in global Consumer Tech trends. Specifically, the Samsung Galaxy S8 raised the bar for Android smartphones by touting one of the most popular bezel-less designs. Not only that, but they definitively allayed fears that stemmed from the old Note 7 battery issues. Overall, Samsung overcame doubts and a bad season with the Note 7 to continue their dominance as a top Android device.
In general, these lists generated by Google serve as a fun reminder of what trended in 2017. However, they also point to what the future brings. Specifically, these trends of the year point to what might gain major popularity in 2018.