8 smartphone marketing tricks that make many users misunderstand

Although there are many quality smartphone models on the market, manufacturers often do not hesitate to use sophisticated tricks - from exaggerating features to distorting the truth to make their products appear more outstanding than competitors.

It may sound unbelievable, but these types of marketing tricks have been around for years and are getting more and more sophisticated. This article will review some of the common tricks that companies use to trick you into opening your wallet and why you should be wary.

1. Tricks to measure thinness and weight on folding phones

Some foldable phone makers are “dodging the rules” when it comes to the thinness and weight of their products. Instead of measuring the entire device, they exclude details like the protective film inside, which cannot be removed. This makes the numbers look more impressive but doesn’t reflect reality.

Smartphone makers like HONOR, OPPO, and Vivo have been caught using this measurement, while Google and Samsung stick to the more common standard. So when a company claims to have released the “world’s thinnest or lightest phone,” look for real-world reviews, with videos from reputable tech experts.

2. Optical zoom - the truth is not what you think?

Many phone manufacturers are misleading users when talking about camera zoom capabilities. A typical example is the HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra with a 50MP camera advertised as supporting optical zoom from 3.7x to 9.4x. However, a closer inspection shows that the 9.4x level is actually just a cropped image from 4.7x zoom - not true optical zoom.

Google and Samsung are equally vague when calling photos that are cropped and enlarged to create a double zoom effect (2x crop) from the main camera as “2x optical quality zoom”.

It sounds high-end, but it lacks the benefits of true optical zoom, like reduced noise or increased brightness. The term “optical quality” is just vague marketing jargon with no concrete definition.

Apple even calls the 2x crop on the iPhone 16 a “2x telephoto lens,” even though it doesn’t have a real telephoto camera. So when you see ads for zoom, be wary because “optical quality” doesn’t mean “true optical zoom.”

3. AI Features: Smooth Performance, Unexpected Real-Life Experience

More and more phone companies are launching attractive artificial intelligence (AI) features such as smart search (Circle to Search), real-time voice chat with AI assistant (Gemini Live) or AI message writing assistant (Magic Compose), accompanied by smooth demo videos that impress users with speed and convenience. However, don't expect too much.

Many of the real-life demonstrations posted by companies like Samsung and OnePlus are actually shortened or simulated. In the small captions, companies often note that the videos are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect actual performance on the device. In other words, the AI ​​operations may be slower, less smooth, or sometimes not work as expected in real life.

While this isn’t a scam, over-hyping AI performance can lead to false expectations. This isn’t the first time AI demos, especially Google’s, have been criticized for being unrealistic. The lesson here is to always read the fine print and test it before judging a new AI feature on a smartphone.

4. Super durable phone protective glass

More and more smartphone manufacturers are trying to create their own protective glass solutions to replace Gorilla Glass - Corning's famous tempered glass line that is considered the gold standard in the mobile screen industry.

However, instead of comparing directly with high-end Gorilla Glass versions like Victus or Victus 2, some brands choose to compare with regular tempered glass, which is outdated and rarely used on mid-range devices and above.

Some manufacturers even claim their glass is “five or ten times stronger than tempered glass,” which sounds impressive but doesn’t mean much in practice. Instead of comparing it to the weakest glass on the market, consumers should be given clearer information: is the solution stronger than the latest Gorilla Glass?

HONOR is one of the few smartphone manufacturers to be transparent when announcing NanoCrystal Shield glass, a ceramic glass developed by the company, which is more durable than Gorilla Glass Victus.

This gives users a visual and a basis for comparison. While many companies may shy away from the Corning relationship, it’s clear that users should be the primary focus of claims about the durability of protective glass.

5. Maximum brightness on smartphones: Is it just an advertising gimmick?

Recently, many smartphone manufacturers have been competing to show off their “huge” screen brightness as a marketing highlight. For example, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a maximum brightness of 2,600 nits, while the OnePlus 13 goes up to 4,500 nits. This sounds impressive, but this number does not actually reflect the user experience.

Peak brightness typically only applies to a very small area of ​​the screen when displaying HDR content, and only lasts for a short time. What really matters, however, is full-screen brightness (often called HBM – High Brightness Mode). This is the brightness level you’ll see when using your phone outdoors in the sun, and is a much more important parameter.

Some brands like Apple, Google, Motorola or OnePlus transparently publish the full screen brightness. In contrast, Samsung often only gives the maximum brightness number, which is easily misleading for consumers.

So, before you believe the “dazzling” numbers in the advertisement, you should check out more reputable reviews or third-party specification pages to know the actual brightness of the phone in daily use conditions.

6. Vague tricks in advertising battery charging time

Some smartphone manufacturers are using sophisticated “tricks” to make charging times look more impressive than they actually are. For example, a phone may show that it is 100% charged, but in reality it will continue to charge for a few more minutes to fully charge. This helps protect the battery, but it is also used to advertise that the phone takes less than 30 minutes to fully charge, when in reality it takes more time.

In addition, instead of measuring from 0% battery level, many companies start calculating charging time from 1%. It sounds reasonable because users usually do not let the device run out completely, but this is still a clever way to "shorten" charging time. Because, from 0% to 1% can also take a few minutes and if you include this part, the total charging time will be longer than officially announced.

So don't take the advertised specs too seriously. If you're interested in real charging speeds, check out independent reviews for a more accurate picture.

7. When groundbreaking features are just a promise

An increasingly common marketing tactic is to hype up new features that aren’t ready for use. Apple, for example, announced an upgraded version of Siri in June 2024, but instead of launching it early, the virtual assistant was delayed until 2026. That’s nearly two years of waiting for an unfinished feature.

Google is no exception. At the Pixel 8 launch event in October 2023, the company introduced the Zoom Enhance feature - a highlight of smart photo editing. Google promised to update this feature via a future Pixel Drop. However, it will not be until August 2024, that is, nearly a year later, that Pixel 8 Pro users will experience Zoom Enhance, right when the Pixel 9 is about to launch.

While pre-launch is all about hype, when a feature is delayed for too long, users have every right to feel “cheated”. So, before buying because of a feature, double-check to see if it’s really ready?

8. Waterproof but not covered by warranty

Many phone companies advertise their devices as having water resistance ratings like IP67, IP68, or even IP69. That sounds impressive, but if you read the warranty carefully, you’ll notice that water damage is often not covered.

This has been controversial, especially with Sony in the mid-2010s, when the company described Xperia phones as “waterproof” but refused to cover water damage under warranty.

In theory, manufacturers have a reason to refuse warranty coverage because water resistance gradually decreases over time due to wear and tear of rubber gaskets and protective coatings, or because of impacts that crack the device. But promoting water resistance and then silently waiving responsibility when problems occur still leaves users feeling misled.

So, even if your phone is waterproof, be careful and don't trust the advertising too much if you don't want to lose money because of an accident that is "not covered by warranty".

In short, behind the glossy advertisements, many smartphone companies are cleverly "circumventing the law" to attract users, from exaggerating screen brightness, charging time, to promising unfinished features or promoting water resistance but refusing to provide warranty.

These tricks are not new, but they are becoming more and more sophisticated. Consumers therefore need to be alert and not just believe in numbers or promises from manufacturers. Instead, carefully research the facts, read independent reviews and choose based on your real needs./.