Originally Posted by
RyanGermann It seems to me that since the level of CPU like in the Passport, advances in mobile CPU technology is in the realm of "law of diminishing returns". I think the Passport is plenty fast (having the same chip (Snapdragon 801) that the HTC One M8 had, and if the above rumours are true, the slider will have the same chip (Snapdragon 810) as the HTC One M9, so I think these technologies have gone up in performance and come down in price enough that every device can be a "flagship" unless they're trying really hard to reach the downmarket customer with a device under $300.
Soon, it the CPU won't be a significant differentiator any more among devices that sell upwards of $400, and following hot on those heels will be screen resolution: soon it won't be worth the 'trouble' to have lower resolution devices unless you're really going down market.
...which means (sorry, Apple!) that the era of $800 smartphones is coming to an end soon. Devices with specs like the Galaxy S6 are going to be selling for $500 in a year, $300 the year after that.
(but, I'd be gladly proven wrong by a continuing trend towards "my mobile is the master" where your main device is your mobile, and you drop it into a docking station and work on it with a full keyboard / mouse where it's convenient, but then have everything with you on the go... I guess in that scenario, it can never be too powerful)