With any luck, 2021 will be much better than 2020 was, but at least there are many exciting smartphones to wait for.
From high-profile devices, like the iPhone 13, to curiosities like the LG Rollable, there must be something for everyone. Below, we highlight ten of the most interesting options we hope to see before the end of the year.
These are phones that, in most cases, are probably excellent and, at the very least, should be interesting, unusual or innovative.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Range
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and its likely siblings – the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – are probably the most anticipated Android phones. It shouldn’t be long for them, too, as there are rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S21 line could be announced on January 14.
So, what should you expect from the three phones? It is almost needless to say that they will have cutting edge power, with rumors suggesting that they will pack the Snapdragon 888 chipset (in the US) or the Exynos 2100 (in most other places) – both of which will likely be among the most powerful of the year.
The most exciting update, however, may be support for the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, a move that could bring the phone much closer to the Galaxy Note range. We’ve also heard of high-spec cameras, with the S21 Ultra potentially offering 10x optical zoom.
iPhone 13 range
The iPhone 13 lineup is probably even more anticipated than the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup, but there is still a long time to wait for these phones, as they probably won’t arrive until September.
There may be some major updates to these new models, with high refresh rate screens, 1 TB of storage, fingerprint scanners on the screen and a smaller notch, all rumored. There is also talk of a periscope camera being added, which would allow a greater optical zoom range.
With phones still a long way off at the time of this writing, we’re still not sure of these things. What you I can rest assured that they will be very powerful and that Apple will likely offer the same variety of devices as in the iPhone 12 line – that is, an iPhone 13, an iPhone 13 mini, an iPhone 13 Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
OnePlus 9 range
The OnePlus 9 line should arrive in March or April and offer a slightly cheaper way to get the kind of cutting edge technology that we hope to see on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21.
There will probably be a OnePlus 9, a OnePlus 9 Pro and possibly also a brand new model dubbed OnePlus 9E.
As for what to expect, all three phones can use the state-of-the-art Snapdragon 888 chipset, and they will likely also have high refresh rate screens, with the Pro model likely offering at least 120Hz.
We don’t know much more about them yet, but leaks suggest the standard OnePlus 9 will have a 48 MP main camera, a 48 MP ultra-wide angle and an unknown third lens, as well as 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, while the OnePlus 9 Pro is likely to be the only one of the three to be IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will probably not be as popular as most phones on this list, but it can be more exciting than most of them, since foldable phones are probably the future, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is it will probably be the best so far.
In addition to having a large, foldable screen, the main rumors of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 so far suggest that it can support Samsung’s S Pen, have a camera on the screen and possibly even a strip of RGB light on its hinge.
We haven’t heard much more at the time of writing, but we expect more rumors to roll out before launch, which could be in June if there are leaks – although some sources say it won’t arrive until the second half of the year.
LG Rollable
The LG Rollable is a wildcard, not least because we are not sure if it exists. But there is some evidence that LG is developing a scrollable screen phone that can be launched in 2021.
Based on a patent, this can be a device that allows you to extend the left and right edges of the screen, but because it rolls instead of folding and because the mechanism is compactly hidden inside the phone, it can look a lot like a normal smartphone when o the screen is not extended. According to another leak, it can extend from 6.8 inches to 7.4 inches.
A trademark application for the name ‘LG Rollable’, however, includes the mention of “electronic touchscreen pens”, so, as with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, you can get a pen for it.
The LG Rollable looks ambitious and we haven’t heard much about it yet, so there’s every chance it won’t land in 2021, and if it does, it will probably be very expensive, but it certainly looks interesting. The only rumor about the release date so far states that it could land in the first half of the year.
Range Oppo Find X3
Oppo is not as big a name as Samsung or OnePlus, but in recent years it has made phones that rival its best, and the Oppo Find X3 line may be the next to do so.
In fact, they can be more exciting and innovative than most renowned flagships, as rumors suggest that the Oppo Find X3 Pro will have a macro camera that can function a bit like a microscope, with 25x zoom and lights at around the lens.
The phone may also have NFC that works on the front and back of the device, so you can touch the screen against the payment terminals instead of the rear – a small feature perhaps, but that we have never seen before.
In addition, the specifications sound edge-to-edge, talking about a 3K resolution, a high refresh rate screen, fast loading, lots of camera lenses and more. And you shouldn’t have to wait long, as we expect the Oppo Find X3 line to be launched earlier this year.
Nokia 10
We had been waiting for Nokia 10 for a long time, so much so that it went through a few names since it started spreading rumors – it was originally thought to be released as Nokia 9.1, but over time this has changed to Nokia 9.2, 9.3 and now Nokia 10.
It remains to be seen whether 2021 will be the year that it will arrive, especially since we don’t know much about it yet, but rumors point to a selfie camera on the screen, a sapphire glass screen, a stainless steel frame and a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 chipset , so this could be a very premium phone.
There is also talk of having a camera configuration very different from the Nokia 9 PureView penta-lens, although it is not clear how this will be different.
iPhone SE 3
While the iPhone 13 line is clearly the most anticipated of Apple’s upcoming phones, the company may also launch a successor to the iPhone SE (2020) in 2021.
We’ve heard very little about the iPhone SE 3 so far and there’s every chance we won’t see it until a year later, but if it comes out in 2021, it will likely have an A14 Bionic chipset (the same as the iPhone 12 range).
There is also talk of an iPhone SE Plus, which can end up being the iPhone SE 3 in everything except the name. It is believed to have a larger screen of 5.5 or 6.1 inches, but to maintain the general accessibility of the iPhone SE line. What is not clear is whether the iPhone SE 3 will retain the physical home button and the large bezels – a design that is becoming increasingly out of date.
Samsung Galaxy Note 21 range
The biggest question about the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 line is whether it will be released at all, with rumors that Samsung is looking to add stylus support to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 3 so that it can discontinue the Note line.
At this point, it seems likely that the days of the Note break are numbered, but we can still get a Samsung Galaxy Note 21.
There is really no news about what it will offer yet, but as usual for the range, you can expect an S Pen, a large screen to make the most of it and plenty of power. If the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 is released, we will probably see it around August.
Sony Xperia 1 III Compact
As well as the expected Sony Xperia 1 III, there are rumors that the company may launch a Sony Xperia 1 III Compact, and it is this phone that we are most excited about, since there are not many next generation compact phones today.
Rumors suggest that it may have a 5.5-inch screen and an upper mid-range chipset – although we expect a high-end. We don’t know much more about the compact or standard Sony Xperia 1 III, but with the phones possibly being launched in the first half of the year, we hope to learn more soon.