Innovations - What I want to see in 2015

2014 showed the tech world that there is a problem with smartphones. That problem is that Apple is so popular, that all smartphone manufacturers do their best to grab some ex-iPhone users by offering basically the same as Apple with an android skin on top. Yes, the devices have nifty extra stuff, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the iPhone 6 are so similar in usability and general handling, you'd have to be blind to not notice any similarities.

The best phones of 2014, in my eyes, are the ones which did something different. Some maybe ever pre-2014 phones are still better than iPhone clones. Here are a few examples.

-The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. 

With a 20 Megapixel camera and 30x OPTICAL zoom, the Galaxy K Zoom was the strangest looking Galaxy released in recent years. It's weight and bulk put most people off the device, but for those who needed a true camera and didn't want to splash out on a Canon or Nikon, this was exactly the right idea. I just wish Samsung would focus on making the zoom module thinner, so the system can fit into more phones - Samsung Galaxy S6 Zoom anybody?

-LG G Flex 2.

Yes, the device is laggy, buggy and gets too hot. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that LG have at least tried to create a new form factor. The flexible phone is exactly what you need if you're prone to sitting on your phone, or leaving it face-down on tables - the self-healing back is renowned to fail, however, it was an interesting attempt to make a new material work in a very experimental phone which has done relatively well. Especially if LG plan to release a G Flex 3 late this year! Hell, if they can just make the G4 with a flexible body, I'll take it,

-Moto Maker.

This isn't a phone, or a wearable. It's an online store. However, it allows potential customers to choose from colours, materials and extras to be added to their Moto X or Moto 360 before buying for a little bit more than the basic phone would cost. The back of the Moto X is non-removable, so it's a good thing that they let you choose a decent-looking back panel online! I hope to see more technology manufacturers allow you to buy your phone custom made for your liking - I'd also like to option to remove the logos from phones, for a cost. Hell, if I could have bought my G3 without the ugly LG logos on the front and back, I'd have paid £100 more for it!

-Materials.

Phones cost a lot of money. They need to feel expensive. I'm not paying £500 for a plastic toy phone. I'm paying £500 for a PREMIUM device. Take a leaf out of Samsung's book - use better materials. Glass, Metal, Leather, all of the above - I don't care! Just no plastic! It's cheap, it looks tacky and you simply cannot make plastic look premium. The HTC One M series has shown us recently that a premium unibody aluminium design is very sought after and highly popular. HTC don't even need to have the best internal processors, people will still love the One M9 because it looks so stunning.

So what would you like to see in 2015 in terms of innovations? Are you happy with everybody playing catch-up with Apple? Do you own an Apple and don't know what we're talking about? Let us know, in the comments below.