Okay, team: We’ve made it. The first smartphone carnival of 2016 has come and gone, leaving only a trail of surplus superlatives and presale promises in its path.

With the Mobile World Congress behind us and the first flagship phones of the year in front, it’s time to talk about the state of smartphone hardware and the notion of innovation.

Let’s face it: Smartphone hardware itself just isn’t all that exciting anymore. I’m not saying anything especially controversial here — or anything I (and others) haven’t said before. The plain truth is simply that smartphones themselves are becoming a bit of a commodity, and the differences from one generation to the next just aren’t nearly as electrifying as they were once upon a time, not long ago.

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