Today we decided to talk about the most interesting smartphone releases that should take place this year. We also noted everything that is already known about these devices, and why they are cool and worth buying.
Considering that most smartphone manufacturers have already come to an annual update cycle of established lines, and information from insiders and analysts, we already have a general idea of when the most anticipated phones of 2018 will appear and what they will be. More is known about some devices, less about others; keep in mind that manufacturers can change the design or hardware of devices before release. For example, it is known that Sony decided at the last minute to change the design of its flagship – right before sending documents for certification.
Most Android smartphones in 2018 will feature the new Snapdragon 845 processor, which should make them more powerful than ever. In 2017, almost all flagship phones were powered by Snapdragon 835, and it's pretty curious to see which manufacturers, other than Samsung, Huawei and maybe Samsung, will decide to move away from it in favor of chips of its own design. As for Apple, we look forward to innovating in augmented reality and Face ID. Not so important, but no less exciting question – how, in the end, will the successor iPhone X be named?
So let's get straight to the list of the most anticipated phones of 2018.
| Smartphone | Expected features | Release time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Xperia XZ Pro 2018 | Sony's first bezel-less; 4K display | June | $ 800 |
| Nokia 9 | Innovative camera with Zeiss lenses | April | $ 700 |
| Huawei P20 | New triple camera, improved AI features | April | $ 600 |
| Huawei Mate 20 | Long battery life, improvements in performance and camera | October | $ 800 |
| Moto z3 force | Unbreakable display, performance and camera improvements | August | $ 700 |
| Essential Phone 2 | Improved camera | August | $ 700 |
| HTC U12 | Bezel-less display, new camera | April May | $ 700 |
| LG G7 | New design, improved performance | April | $ 600 |
| LG V40 | Focus on professional features like sound and video quality | October | $ 800 |
| OnePlus 6 | In-display fingerprint reader, Snapdragon 845 | June | $ 500 |
| OnePlus 6T | Not yet known | November | $ 500 |
| Google Pixel 3 | New bezel-less design, new version Android, new AI features | October | $ 650 |
| Google Pixel 3 XL | Improved display, new version Android, new AI features | October | $ 850 |
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Camera with aperture adjustment, different location of the fingerprint scanner, improved performance | March, April | $ 750 |
| Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus | Camera with adjustable iris, dual camera module, different location of the fingerprint scanner, improved performance | March, April | $ 850 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | In-display fingerprint reader, improved S Pen | September October | $ 950 |
| Apple iPhone 9 | 6.1-inch bezelless LCD – display without 3D Touch, new AR-features | September 21st | $ 700 |
| Apple iPhone X 2018 | Improvements in performance and camera, new AR features | September 21st | $ 1,000 |
| Apple iPhone 9 Plus | 6.5-inch bezelless OLED – most expensive iPhone display in history, focus on camera enhancements and augmented reality | September 21st | $ 1,000 + |
Sony Xperia XZ Pro (2018)
When release: summer 2018
How much will it cost: $ 800
Why Waiting For: Sony's First Bezel-less; display resolution 4K
Last year, Sony stunned everyone with the release of the Xperia XZ Premium: it was the first smartphone to offer incredible 4K resolution in a 5.5-inch LCD display. Given that most people can't tell the difference between Quad HD and Full HD on a smartphone, this move is aimed primarily at VR enthusiasts and simply those who want something that no one else has. And despite the lack of a large practical advantage of such a resolution on such a small screen, many users, as we have already said, choose a smartphone according to the characteristics, and the higher they are, the better.
Sony is expected to release a premium version of this model in 2018. It will retain the 4K resolution from its predecessor, but the display itself will most likely be larger, but there will be no bezels around – at least on the sides.
Nokia 9
When release: Spring 2018
How much will it cost: $ 700
Why Waiting For: A Promising Camera
HMD Global brought legendary Nokia smartphones back to the market last year, but it's hard to call it an enchanting success. The new flagship should change that – judging by what we already know about it. When creating smartphones, Nokia has always paid great attention to the camera, and we will see the revival of this tradition in Nokia 9: the novelty is tipped with an excellent camera with Zeiss optics.
Huawei P20 / Mate 20
When release: Spring 2018 / Fall 2018
How much will it cost: $ 600 / $ 800
Why Expectations: New AI Features
Although Huawei is not perceived by many as a top manufacturer (like many other Chinese companies), it is actually the world's third largest smartphone supplier. The company has two flagship lines (something like Galaxy S and Galaxy Note from Samsung): these are Huawei P, which are traditionally presented in the spring, and Huawei Mate, which are released in the fall. We expect the P20 to be a top-end bezel-less display that costs less than flagships from Apple and Samsung. It will also be interesting to see what Huawei will be able to offer from its latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as how powerful the next generation of the processor Huawei Kirin will be.
Moto z3 force
When release: summer 2018
How much will it cost: $ 700
Why wait: an unbreakable smartphone with a modular design
Motorola (now owned by Lenovo) produces a range of smartphones with attractive prices for their quality level. This applies to both the mid-range Moto X and flagship Moto Z. The new 2018 Moto Z3 Force will have two key features: the unique shatter-proof ShatterShield display and the ability to attach cool accessories right to the body of your smartphone. The presentation will take place in the summer, among the eminent guests – Ashton Kutcher.
Essential Phone 2
When release: summer 2018
How much will it cost: $ 700
Why it's worth the wait: the second generation of the smartphone from the creator of Android Andy Rubin, the fixes of the first version is expected
The creator of the platform Android, Andy Rubin founded a new company in 2017 to put the creation of smartphones in the “right direction”: no gimmicks or marketing gimmicks, only the essentials. The result is the Essential Phone. However, the device made its market debut with a too high price tag, unfinished software and a rather dull camera. The Essential Phone received a fair amount of criticism at first, but it has gotten a lot better over the past few months thanks to updates, and the average price tag has dropped to $ 500, which sounds like a good deal. It is expected that in the second generation Rubin will carry out a large-scale work on bugs and the Essential Phone 2 will become a worthy competitor to new products from Apple, Samsung and Google.
HTC U12
When release: Spring 2018
How much will it cost: $ 700
Why it's worth the wait: pan or miss for HTC
HTC these days are far from being the best. The company's financial problems have led to the fact that for some time now, any smartphone from this manufacturer may become the last one if it does not receive enough feedback from buyers. That is why it is interesting to watch it: every time the company tries to show the best it is capable of. Last year's HTC U11 was awesome, but HTC U12 should take the word to the next level with a bezel-less display, improved camera and changes to the HTC Sense skin. The smartphone should be released this spring and become a real flagship. It is also worth noting that a significant portion of the engineering team HTC acquired Google. How will this affect the U12 and future smartphones? It is not yet clear, but this only adds interest to the upcoming new product.
LG G7 / V40
When release: Spring 2018 / Fall 2018
How much will it cost: $ 600 / $ 800
Why the expectations are worth it: downsizing the mobile unit LG will force the team to show their best
LG launched several great smartphones in 2017. In particular, this is the V30, which received the most attention and set a new design standard for the company's flagships. But smartphones LG continue to lag behind other top brands when it comes to camera and proprietary interface. It is expected that this year LG will update both of its flagship lines and fix bugs: LG G7 will become an exemplary compact flagship and will be released in the spring, and the release of the phablet LG V40 will take place in the fall.
OnePlus 6 / 6T
When release: summer 2018
How much will it cost: $ 500 +
Why Expectations: Great value for top specs, high performance and ultra-fast charging
OnePlus has been releasing flagship smartphones with nice price tags for four years now, so it is no longer a startup as it was at the beginning of its activity, but one of the most popular and recognizable brands along with Samsung, HTC and other giants. Released last year, the OnePlus 5 and 5T were stunningly powerful flagships with superior design and user-friendly interface Oxygen OS. In 2018, the company should release the OnePlus 6 and 6T, and all they need to succeed is to maintain the advantages and the democratic price tag of the previous generation and, perhaps, improve the camera – this is the only component that could not compete with other flagships in the 5 and 5T.
Google Pixel 3/3 XL
When release: Autumn 2018
How much will it cost: $ 650 / $ 850
Why there are expectations: smartphones that will be the first to receive all updates Android; hints of a great camera
The series Google Pixel quickly won the hearts of fans Android. It inherited the concept of Nexus smartphones, providing users with a new firmware version earlier than other manufacturers, but at the same time, the design and characteristics have become an order of magnitude higher. They also boast amazing cameras and smoother system performance than other Android devices. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL already have a solid base in the form of last year's solid Pixel 2/2 XL, but the creators have to fix a number of serious problems. The main one is the quality of the screen: the color rendering in the second generation was more like a lottery: you could come across either a perfectly calibrated device, or with a bluish display. In addition, in some instances, pixels burned out in the first weeks of use. This should definitely be fixed in Pixel 3. We also look forward to introducing new features related to artificial intelligence and machine learning – Google has been actively investing in these developments in recent years and it will be interesting to see what it does.
Samsung Galaxy S9 / Note 9
When release: Spring 2018 / Fall 2018
How much will it cost: $ 750 / $ 950
Why Expectations: Innovative Camera and New, Smoother Firmware
While Samsung smartphones are incredibly popular, they are far from perfect. We expect that in 2018 Samsung will first release the Galaxy S9 and its Plus variant – it will happen in two days – and then launch the Note 9 in the fall. Rumors have it that the Note 9 could get a revolutionary in-display scanner, while the Galaxy S9 will simply move the scanner under the camera module on the back, ditching last year's extremely unfortunate positioning next to the camera. We're also hoping for a performance boost, with the S8 and Note 8 feeling underpowered and under-optimized for their price segment.
Apple iPhone Xs / 8s / 8s Plus
When release: Autumn 2018
How much will it cost: $ 1000 / $ 700-800 / $ 1000 +
Why the expectations are worth: a more budgetary version iPhone X with LCD – display and the second generation of innovative iPhone X
In 2017, Apple introduced the bezel-less iPhone X with a large notch in the display and a big price tag of $ 999. In 2018, we expect a second generation – it's called iPhone Xs or iPhone XI – which will be like iPhone X in size and design, but will receive camera and performance improvements generally. Almost nothing is known about the characteristics, but it will most likely be announced in mid-September, and it will go on sale in a week (in the countries of the first wave). Most likely Apple will also update iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Rumors also indicate the existence of a iPhone with a 6.1-inch LCD – display with a iPhone X design and a True Depth camera, but without 3D Touch. Finally, a 6.5-inch iPhone with a OLED – display is likely to break the record iPhone X and the minimum price tag will exceed $ 1,000.