Best upcoming Android phones of 2019
Editor’s note: We will be updating this list of the best upcoming Android phones regularly as new devices launch.
After a sluggish few years in the Android world, 2019 is set to be a smash-hit for smartphone fans. We’ve already seen a few interesting phones with foldable designs, punch-hole displays, and as many as six cameras. These include the Samsung Galaxy S10, Nokia 9 PureView, and many others.
But the year is still far from over. If you want to know more about the kinds of handsets you can look forward to, check out our list of the best upcoming Android phones arriving in 2019.
Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL
Google Pixel 3a render
Google’s Pixel phones are the darlings of Android, but they’re not exactly easy on the wallet. The latest model, the Pixel 3, starts at $799, while the larger Pixel 3 XL costs $899. The good news for budget-minded folks is there’s a strong chance Google has a solution for you coming in the first half of 2019.
The company is rumored to announce cheaper versions of its flagship phones called the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. They could offer mid-range specs including the Snapdragon 670 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 1080p displays. However, they may sport near-identical rear cameras as their flagship counterparts, making them great choices for those who value camera quality over everything else.
A launch date has not been confirmed yet, but rumors have it the phones will make their debut on May 7 — the first day of Google I/O. To learn more about the phones including how much they may cost and which other features will they have on board, check out our Google Pixel 3a rumor hub.
Launch ETA: May 7
OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro
From the outside, it looks like OnePlus had a very successful 2018. The Chinese firm had its best smartphone launch yet with the OnePlus 6T and secured a potentially lucrative sales partnership with T-Mobile to sell it.
The OnePlus 7 series will be announced on May 14.
This year, OnePlus is expected to take things to the next level by launching not one, but two phones. Called the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, the duo will make their debut on May 14 in New York City. Although the company hasn’t shared anything about the upcoming handsets with the public, we have a good idea of what to expect thanks to all the rumors going around.
The phones will likely come with the latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 chipset under the hood, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and OnePlus’ fast Warp Charge technology. The Pro model is also rumored to sport a pop-up selfie camera, 5G support, and a Quad HD+ display. To learn more about the two devices, check out our OnePlus 7 rumor roundup post at the link.
Launch date: May 14
Honor 20
Honor 20 launch promo
Last year’s Honor 10 impressed with its combination of high-end specs and an affordable price tag. We expect to see much of the same with the Honor 20, which will be revealed on May 21 in London.
Nothing about the phone is official yet, but rumors claim that it will sport a triple-camera setup with a 48MP main sensor, a 20MP secondary sensor, and an 8MP tertiary camera. There will also be a 32MP selfie snapper on board. Other specs and features may include the powerful Kirin 980 chipset found in the P30 and Mate 20 series, up to 8GB of RAM, and a 3,650mAh battery.
No word on pricing yet, but we expect it to cost a little more than its predecessor, which went for 400 euros (~$445).
Launch ETA: May 21
An upgraded HTC U12 Plus?
HTC’s Taiwan president talked about the direction of its upcoming Android phones last year, and it looks like we may not get a true HTC U12 Plus successor in the first half of next year. Apparently, HTC’s current plan is to “extend” the U12 Plus range. Though HTC didn’t give us any further details on that when we reached out to it, it could mean a slightly upgraded U12 Plus is set for H1 2019.
Read next: Here are the best HTC phones you can buy right now
The HTC U12 Plus has a lot going for it such as a great camera and the innovative Edge Sense feature, but it also has a lot of drawbacks that hurt sales. These include a lackluster software experience, terrible pressure-sensitive buttons, and a price tag that’s way too high. We hope HTC will address all these issues with the U12 Plus’ successor.
Launch ETA: First half of 2019
Pocophone F2
Xiaomi made headlines last year with the announcement of the Pocophone F1. The reason why is that the phone offers fantastic value for money. Starting at just 330 euros (~$370), it features the Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, a massive battery, and a dual-camera setup at the back.
The Pocophone F2 is expected to offer a fantastic price-performance ratio.
This year, we expect the company to release its successor — the “Pocophone F2”. We don’t know anything about the phone right now, but we expect it to follow the same recipe that made the F1 so successful. That means offering high-end specs at a price-point that undercuts the competition by a wide margin.
In addition to the latest Snapdragon chipset and a ton of RAM, we also hope the phone will come with NFC, a better design, and a few other things you can check out in our Pocophone F2 wishlist post.
Launch ETA: August
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
The Galaxy S10 series has already been announced, which means the next Samsung flagship to look forward to in 2019 is the Galaxy Note 10. Based on previous years, the phone will likely be announced in August or September.
Rumors suggest we might see a couple of different variants of the Galaxy Note 10, one of which will be 5G-ready. As far as specs go, we expect to see the latest Snapdragon 855/Exynos 9820 chipset, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and hopefully a headphone jack. Early rumors also suggest the handset will feature four rear cameras, two more than the Note 9. All these things combined make the Note 10 one of the most anticipated upcoming Android phones of 2019.
All this will come at a price. The phone is expected to cost more than its predecessor, which means the entry-level variant will retail for over $1,000. Check out all the rumors about the Galaxy Note 10 to learn more about it.
Launch ETA: August or September
Google Pixel 4 series
The Google Pixel 4 series, which will likely consist of the Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL, is expected to make its debut in October. As we’re still months away from their release, we don’t officially know anything about the two upcoming Android phones. But we assume they’ll be camera-focused, just like their predecessors.
We also expect them to run the next version of Android, currently known as Android Q. Unlike the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, they will almost certainly be flagship phones powered by Qualcomm’s latest high-end chipset — most likely the Snapdragon 855.
Other specs and features expected include wireless charging, an IP68 rating, and the Active Edge technology that allows you to summon Google Assistant by squeezing the edges of the phone. No word on pricing yet, but expect to pay at least as much as for the Pixel 3 phones.
Launch ETA: October
Huawei Mate 30 Pro
Huawei announced the P30 Pro in March, which means the next flagship from the company to expect is the Mate 30 Pro. Based on previous Mate phones, the 30 Pro will likely be revealed in October.
We haven’t heard a lot of rumors about the phone so far, but we do expect it to come with the upcoming Kirin 990 chipset under the hood. We also hope to see an even better camera, an enhanced in-display fingerprint scanner, and an improved reverse wireless charging feature.
There’s a good chance the phone will have a larger display, measuring at least 6.5-inches to make it bigger than the one of the P30 Pro. We also expect a price bump, with the entry-level variant of the phone likely costing more than 1,000 euros (~$1,115).
Launch ETA: October
Motorola Razr foldable phone
Patent for the Motorola Razr
It looks like Motorola plans on bringing back the Razr series. The company is reportedly working on a foldable phone, which is expected to launch sometime this year. An exact date isn’t known, but the company said it plans to enter the market around the same time as its competitors. As Samsung and Huawei have already revealed their foldable phones, Motorola can’t be far behind.
The Motorola Razr foldable phone (the name hasn’t been confirmed yet) reportedly folds vertically and features two displays. Based on a previous patent filing, it features a small display on the outside when closed and a larger display when opened.
Specs-wise, rumors have it that it will be a mid-range device sporting the Snapdragon 710 chipset, up to 6GB of RAM, and a 2,730mAh battery. It may cost as much as $1,500, but we won’t know for sure until it’s officially released. In the U.S., it will likely be Verizon-exclusive.
Launch ETA: Sometime in 2019
Announced but not yet released
The handsets below have already been announced, but since they haven’t gone on sale yet we’re still including them on our list of the best upcoming Android phones.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Announced in February, the Galaxy Fold is Samsung’s first foldable device. It opens and closes like a book and features a 4.6-inch display on the outside and a 7.3-inch screen on the inside. The phone has six cameras on board, is powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, and is 5G ready. It was initially scheduled to go on sale on April 26, but Samsung pushed back the launch date due to problems with the phone’s display. A new release date has not been announced yet.
Huawei Mate X
Huawei’s rival to the Galaxy Fold made its debut at MWC 2019. It features a single display that’s wrapped around the outside of the device and measures 8-inches when in tablet mode. The 5G phone is powered by the Kirin 980 chipset, sports a rear triple-camera setup, and has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Huawei says the Mate X (with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage) will retail for 2,299 euros (~$2,565) once it goes on sale this summer. The phone isn’t expected to launch in the U.S..
LG V50 ThinQ
The successor to the LG V40 ThinQ made its debut at MWC in February and is LG’s first 5G phone. It sports a large 6.4-inch QHD+ display, is equipped with three rear cameras, and is powered by the latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 chipset. The V50 is a great phone for music lovers, as it features a headphone jack and a Quad DAC that offers a better audio experience with the right headphones. It’s expected to launch in South Korea soon, after which it will make its way to other markets as well. An exact release date or price have not been revealed yet.
Sony Xperia 1
Sony’s flagship has a large 6.5-inch display with an aspect ratio of 21:9. It sports top-of-the-line specs including the Snapdragon 855 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and a rear triple-camera setup. It comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner like a lot of other Xperia phones and offers most of the bells and whistles expected from a flagship including an IP68 rating. The Xperia 1 was announced at MWC 2019 in Barcelona and can already be pre-ordered for $1,000. However, there’s no word on when the phone will start shipping.
This isn’t a comprehensive list of upcoming Android phones, just a taste of what’s to come in 2019. Let us know if we’ve missed any big ones and tell us the handset you’re most excited for in the comments.
from Android Authority http://bit.ly/2Fq5yAZ
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