The focus of competition over new smartphones is shifting from functions to color and design. As performance differences between generations narrow, factors that catch consumers’ eyes are expanding to design elements such as appearance, finishing and color.

On Aug. 12 local time, IT outlet Engadget pointed out that the importance of color and design is growing as the smartphone market enters a phase of gradual upgrades ahead of the launch of Google’s Pixel 11 series.

New smartphones improve performance, cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) features each year, but the scale of changes consumers can feel compared with the previous generation appears to be shrinking. As a result, color, materials and finishing that shape a product’s first impression are emerging as differentiators.

The Pixel 11 series was cited as a key example. The most anticipated factor in a new product could be color rather than functions. The report raised the possibility that this mood could extend to the iPhone 18 Pro and other hardware lines expected to launch this fall.

The design competitiveness of Google’s Pixel series was also assessed positively. The Pixel series was still rated as one of the best Android phone options on the market even after a price increase.

Google has in fact emphasized the Pixel’s identity through color. Last year, the Pixel 10’s “Indigo Blue” and the Pixel 10 Pro’s “Lemongrass” were viewed as distinctive and differentiated combinations. Indigo Blue in particular drew attention for evoking the “Really Blue” color used in early Pixel products, and as an element that carries forward the brand’s past design assets.

This change aligns with an assessment that the smartphone market is entering a so-called “iterative upgrade” stage. As it becomes harder to create dramatic differences in performance or features even when generations change, manufacturers need to create new reasons to buy through elements such as design and color.

That does not mean the competitiveness of new products, including the Pixel 11, has declined. The Pixel series is still seen as a major option in the Android market, but what matters is that factors drawing consumer interest are no longer concentrated solely on specific new features or camera performance as in the past and are spreading across overall design.

The same trend could continue in competition over new smartphone models this fall. Even if major products such as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 11 continue to improve performance, consumer interest could focus on how they seek differentiation through color, materials and design. The more the smartphone market matures, the more competition among manufacturers is expected to become clearer not only in functions but also in product individuality and design completeness.