Five key smartphone developments in 2017
| Facial scanning Dual lens cameras Roaming be gone The ultra-premium handset The end of the home button | It`s been a big year for smartphones. We look back at the latest innovations. Here are the five biggest developments for smartphones over the past months. | 1) _________________ The single, front–facing home button has been a cornerstone of smartphone design ever since the original iPhone burst onto the scene in 2007. 10 years on and the need for a physical key on the front of a smartphone had decreased. |  | | Samsung was the first to switch to an all–screen design with its Galaxy S8, with a fingerprint scanner on the back to make it easy to open the device securely. Apple followed suit with the iPhone X, finally bringing an end to the feature which had made the device stand out from the crowd when it first launched a decade ago. |  | 2) _________________ It isn’t new. But until 2017, it was only ever a niche concern, with enough worries about security and ease of use. The iPhone X changed that. Having replaced the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, it offered complex, 3D _______mapping, allowing users to unlock their phone and create personalised emoji with just a glance. | | 3) _________________ In the past twelve years, more and more mobile makers have started offering them to deliver crystal clear images. | 
| | Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 camera offered a superb picture, as did the OnePlus 5 and 5T. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus took this setup from last year’s iPhone 7 Plus and developed it, serving up images of the much better quality than those taken on any other smartphone. | 4) ________________________ Good smartphones have never been cheap. But what the previous years have shown is that the biggest names are keen to create a new, super category of devices. |  | | | Apple’s iPhone X, costing up to £1,149 SIM–free for a 256GB model, is the most obvious case. With rumours pointing towards Google offering an ultra-high-end Pixel 3 in 2018, we can expect this trend to grow over the next year. | | 
| 5) _________________ Roaming’s power over holidaymakers finally ended in 2017, in Europe at least, with the EU ending charges in June. Networks then began to improve their offerings, with Vodafone, Three and EE (telecommunications companies) fighting in their efforts to bring cheaper roaming to countries outside the union. | | That has culminated in Three now adding 11 destinations to its Feel At Home programme, meaning 71 places now offering free calls, texts and data for its customers.
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Which of these features are new to you? In pairs, describe your mobile phone using the following clues to help you.
- Design (how it looks, colour, weight, LCD screen) - Built-in camera - Wireless support - Keypad - Ringtone - Performance and battery life - Value for money
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