2017 saw the mobile phone industry make some decisive shifts, and none was as big as the shift from 3G to 4G. The best mobile phones naturally are the ones tht managed to ride out this change most comfortably.

An interesting perspective here was how newer brands like Comio stole the show from legacy players, who were possibly slow to respond due to inventory issues with older models. The best mobile phone of 2017 undoubtedly were 4G phones, that offered solid hardware specs and at a time when when first time users are still critical for growth, a great service offering too.

It is here that newer players had the advantage again, building on the mistakes, and learnings from older players to customise special service features. Today, a buyer voting for the best mobile phone is very likely to consider not only his/her experience with the handset, but also service quality and feedback.

The best mobile phone in 2017 offered this and much more. While in the premium category of over RS 30,000, it has become standard to expect say, dual cameras, a battery over or close to 3500 mAH, and possibly fast charging and a minimum octa core processor, in the value category for the mass market, the best mobile phones necessarily offer a solid hardware combo, and along with that, service features.

Thus, be it the customer looking to upgrade in a year, or the first time user worried about the high cost of screen breakage, or even the careful buyer worried about warranty, smart sellers are offering service features that take care of as many of these apprehensions as they can.

The best mobile phone brands have also not shied away from marketing themselves aggressively to their target audience, and trying to be a part of their aspirations and hopes. A new brand like Comio for instance, as created a lot of buzz with its tagline #DontListen Kar Daal, encouraging the youth to listen to their heart. Clearly, it is an approach that has worked well for the brand, with a high recall and market performance. Has that helped the brand rank among the best mobile phone in the value category? That's a call, we will be able to make only after the final numbers for the year come in.