Start of Android Android phones were the golden era, you cannot change your mind

After recently recalling my favorite camera phones, it came to my mind that my most pleasant time to write and play with smartphones occurred in a fairly short period – the early 2010s. Of course, there were big phones before that and a lot of technically superior after this time. However, I still think that 2010-2015 represents the most exciting moment to be a smartphone lover, and not only because of the equipment.

The handsets were great, of course. The 10 years were a period when the flagship of the phone was still to be won, before it became the Duopoly of Apple and Samsung today (although you could affirm that it was already on its way). The smartphones were still relatively new and everyone was trying to push the limits. Brands like HTC and LG, which were now part of the market, have produced their best work during this period. The HTC One and One M8, the Powerhouse G2, G3 and G4 of LG, LG, the Xperia Z series of Sony, in particular the compact Z3, all had worshiped fans, all for just as valid reasons. You didn’t have to buy a Samsung for dinner at the upper table.

I spent most of this period with the LG G3, which innovated with its QHD display and its camera laser focus, the basic features of today’s flagship products. Yes, its Snapdragon processor was a little hot (they are always, to be honest), and the battery of 3300 mAh is tiny according to today’s standards. However, the cell was removable, and I replaced it at least once for the phone to knock. Despite a reasonably thin design, he had a headphone jack, a slowly curved back for a great feeling in his hand, he took decent photos, and the volume switch placement was an inspired design that I want someone to revive. If nothing else, it was certainly something new and exciting to buy, unlike today’s flagship products, which are almost all copied and glued from last year.

How often do we see the phones embarking on fully metal constructions or fantastic sporting files? Not often these days. And really compact phones? Forget that. The years 2010 spoiled the choice when brands have desperately tried new things to stand out; Competition to its best, so to speak.

Trying to stand out at its limits, of course, and many of the most bizarre ideas would be considered commercial failures, even if we could not prevent ourselves from talking about it. The LG G5 “modular” of 2016 was a step too far which undoubtedly sank the reputation of the brand and helped to put an end to innovative pleasure. Before that, however, we had the LG G Flex banana phone and the samsung galaxy round, clumsily curved. Perhaps more sensible but no less controversial, we had the first flagship products of Galaxy with the “Edge” display curved in this period.

Can you imagine someone who sells products like this now? The best we recently had is the incredibly thin but incredibly average Galaxy S25 Edge. Meanwhile, the foldable polygone concept of Samsung is the phone it should sell. Perhaps nothing and its glyph interface is the closest that we still have the old-fashioned approach to the design of the handset, but it is a company on almost a dozen.

Despite intense competition, the second decade of the millennium also saw cooperation that feels completely foreign in today’s Android ecosystem. Before Pixel, there was Nexus, which took place exclusively throughout this period. While Google focused on features and software, it has teamed up with the biggest names in the company to create the equipment. HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Huawei all demand at least one Nexus phone with their names. Talk about a supergroup.

Intended for developing phones, the Nexus line has won a cult consumer after an interior track on the latest and best Android features, as is the Pixel range today. The equipment was rarely impeccable, but the program was a fundamental bridge between the Android software goalkeeper and the companies that build equipment for the platform. Today, the two have never moved away from the Google Pixel line in competition directly with Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi and the rest on hardware and software features. Yes, Android always brings new bits to everyone, but AI, the camera and various application tools are now software differentiars.

A lower but equally interesting program was Google Play Edition partnerships. Android skins like HTC Sense, Samsung Touchwiz and LG UX were quite love / hatred at the time (and some are still), while the Bloatware, the brand and the locked start -up chargers tormented the space of the transporter. If you wanted Android versions not completed by transporters of popular phones, GPE delivered. The Galaxy S4, HTC One, Xperia Z Ultra, Moto G and HTC One M8 came in GPE flavors during the brief existence of the program from 2013 to 2014.

Oh, which I would not give to be able to buy a OnePlus 13 or Galaxy S25 Ultra but powered by Smarts Pixel. But of course, it will never be; The brand’s identity is far too precious to collaborate with competitors today.

If you don’t like the approach of your OEM or even your Google, the personalized Roma community had your back. Not only was it the golden age of smartphones, but it was the golden age of the Roma. CyanogenMod, Android paranoid, the first MIUi constructions of Xiaomi and many others offered new features, better performance and prolonged longevity far beyond what the manufacturers have provided.

Today’s phones are locked in the name of security. The root access is not as essential as it was in the past, but the real modification is now delivered with serious compromise. Do you want a full control over the phone you paid? Be ready to say goodbye to contactless payments, banking applications and any service that checks the Google safety net. The era to have a phone that was really yours has long disappeared.

By thinking about these years, it is clear that the beginning of the 2010s was not only specifications or references – phones had character. Each launch looked like a daring statement. It was not a question of knowing how fast or an expensive phone was; It was what made him different-what does it look like, what did he do, what was he done?

This spirit has been blurred in recent years, replaced by an iterative refinement and an endless race for profitability. Today’s phones are incredible machines – faster, smarter, more capable than ever – but rarely surprise us. Most of them look alike every year, act in the same way and, apart from the strange folding screen, have the impression of following a very cautious plan. Seriously, how have foldables already become outdated?

Although I don’t expect or I don’t even have a return to Nexus phones or aspire for another GPE galaxy, what I want is a little more fun and adventure. I want to see more risks – more phones trying something weird and maybe even stranded. More conceptions that trigger a debate. No more decisions that make people say: “Well, it’s different.”

In an increasingly motivated market by safe bets and annual cycles, I think we could all use this magic again. Like building record cars or sending rockets in space, some things are worth doing just to see if we can.