The year 2017 has been an exceptional year for the smartphone industry. So far we have seen some outstanding smartphones including Apple’s iPhone X, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 and even the Huawei Honor V10 that comes with an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled chipset. Google also jumped straight into action by releasing the second generation of its Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Gaming company Razer unveiled their first smartphone- the Razer Phone that was equipped with the world’s first 120 Hz Ultra Motion display.
Now the new year is upon us, its time to look forward and keep an eye out on those smartphones that could stand out this year.
Here are the best upcoming smartphones to look out for in 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
The top leaks suggest Samsung is planning to bring its next-generation Galaxy S series phones at Mobile World Congress 2018. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are bound to be a success just like every other Galaxy phones before it. Yet, we want to experience something evolutionary from Samsung with these new Galaxy phones. As per new leaks, the phone is likely to come with an upgraded processor- perhaps a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Soc. Since Samsung has announced its new flagship Exynos 9810 processor which is likely power the phones for markets outside the U.S. The leak also pointed out that Galaxy S9+ will feature a dual camera setup while the S9 would stick to a single camera. We’re expecting the next big change on these phones to be the addition of 120Hz UltraMotion Display, that would be great to see.
Apple iPhone 2018
What will the 2018 iPhone Be Called? Well, this is going to be a difficult question to answer in 2018. Many rumors have already started flying around and it will continue to pile up until the new iPhone is launched. So far, we know that there will be no new successor to the iPhone X until September 2018. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we can expect three new iPhone model to roll out this year. In addition to that, one model is rumored to resemble iPhone X design with a same screen size and resolution while the other one will follow the similar design language but with a larger display, essentially making it a larger iPhone 10 Plus. However, the above details are just rumors and there’s no proof to say exactly what might happen.
OnePlus 6
The OnePlus 6 is sure to be the most anticipated phone of 2018. OnePlus is among the most powerful phone makers in the world and has become an important player in the market. As we can see, the company releases two smartphones every year so we can expect the arrival of OnePlus 6 in early 2018. Recently, the phone was seen on Geekbench listing, revealing the phone to bring the latest Snapdragon 845 mobile platform. As per leaks, the OnePlus 6 is expected to have an on-screen fingerprint sensor and an improved face unlock feature which will make the use of infrared 3D camera module, hence offering more security to users. According to a report, the design and display are expected to remain mostly unchanged. The OnePlus 6 will be a monster of a phone, that’s for sure.
Nokia 9
HMD Global is reportedly working on its new upcoming flagship smartphone Nokia 9. If rumors are to be believed, the Nokia 9 will feature a bezel-less 5.5-inch Quad HD display while being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clubbed with 6GB of RAM, Adreno 540 GPU and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. The Nokia 9 is also expected to offer IP67 certified water and dust protection. One of the biggest USPs of the device will be the Dual-camera setup accompanied by Carl Zeiss Optics.
Sony Xperia XZ Pro or Sony Xperia XZ2
Last year, Sony Xperia XZ was the first ever phone to feature a 4K display. So it’s no surprise to see another flagship from Sony coming with that aspect again. However, as per the latest GeekBench listing, the smartphone was spotted with 5.7-inch FullHD (1920x1080p) display. Though, the phone is likely to sport a modern bezel-less design. As for the processor, it is expected to feature Snapdragon 845 chipset. We are expecting the launch at MWC 2018 on late-February.
Huawei P20 and P20 Plus
Huawei released two flagship smartphones in 2017- the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus. Even though both are amazing smartphones, they couldn’t capture the market’s attention like other flagships did. That is something Huawei needs to change with its next-generation P-series handsets. According to latest rumors, Huawei P20 and P20 Plus are expected to be powered by the latest Kirin 970 chipset and will purportedly have a QHD,18:9 near bezel-less display. Few days ago, a leak suggest that they will have a Triple-lens 40MP Leica rear camera with 5x hybrid zoom and a 24MP front camera with facial recognition that is supposed to be better than Apple’s Face ID. Some sources claim that the anticipated smartphone will be announced by Huawei at MWC in February.
Google Pixel 3
The upcoming Pixel phone is sure to be the best smartphone of 2017. It will be the third generation of the pixel smartphones with rumours pointing to a drastic change in design. Early reports suggests that there will be three new pixel phones this year as the development names have been leaked online. The three codenames are “Crosshatch“, “Albacore“, and “Blueline“. In addition to that, the phone will have 7nm Snapdragon 845 processor under the hood and will operate on to-be-announced Android 9.0 P. Rumors suggest the Pixel 3 could land in October.
What phone are you most looking forward to in 2018? Let us know in the comments!
