Should you wait before you upgrade? Read the latest news and rumours on the best new phones launching in 2017 and early 2018.
The best new phones of 2017 and 2018 will offer faster performance and longer battery life. Some will use the new Snapdragon 835 chip for which headline performance figures include 25 percent faster graphics rendering and half the power consumption compared to the Snapdragon 801.
You can expect this processor to be paired with at least 4- but potentially as much as 8GB of RAM, a minimum amount of 32GB of storage, extra-large Quad-HD screens and class-leading cameras.
We’ve already seen some great smartphones announced earlier this year, including the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, LG G6, HTC U11, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Xiaomi Mi6 and OnePlus 5. These are all now on sale, so we have removed them from this article. However, here are some more great phones coming in the next 12 months.
We’re now less than a week from the unveiling of the hyped up iPhone 8, which may well come alongside a more standard (read boring) update to the iPhone 7 in the form of the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. The new iPhones will be announced on 12 September. Apple is set to go big on the iPhone’s 10th anniversary. A combination of design and hardware changes should make the iPhone 8 the most radical new iPhone to date. Also see: Best Phone Deals The iPhone 8 could be the iPhone with which Jony Ive finally gets his own way: an iPhone that resembles a single sheet of glass with an edge-to-edge OLED screen. Other rumours suggest the iPhone 8 will feature wireless charging for the first time, and possible biometric features such as facial recognition or iris scanning. It’ll run the Apple A11 processor and motion co-processor, and be devilishly fast. Click here for more iPhone 8 rumours.
According to reliable sources the next Google phones will be announced on 5 October. They will include waterproofing and an improved camera that excels with low-light photography, as well as a curved screen and the Snapdragon 836 processor. The key difference between the two is expected to be screen size and resolution, with the larger Pixel XL2 featuring a 5.99in Quad-HD screen and the smaller Pixel 2 a 4.97in full-HD panel. The XL2 should also feature 6- rather than 4GB of RAM. We know that the new Google phone will be the first to run Android Oreo, of which the final version was announced on 21 August.
The LG G6 (pictured) hasn’t been around for long but there are already some rumours emerging about the next model. It’s thought that the firm will release the LG G7 as early as January 2018 pegging the launch at CES 2018. This would give it a head start against major rivals such as the Galaxy S9. Another rumour suggests that LG is already wroking with Qualcomm and the G7 will be the first with its new Snapdragon 845 processor. Read more about the LG G7 here.
While we wait for the LG G7, the company has announced its V30 at IFA 2017. It’s another FullVision Display phone, this time with a 6in screen, yet at 158g it’s much smaller than you’d expect of a device with such a large display. The V30 runs a Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM, and has a dual-camera with a large f/1.6 aperture. You could say it’s the phone the G6 should have been. Available in South Korea from 21 September, other markets should follow soon after. Read more about the LG V30 here.
Surface Phone rumours have been few and far between, leading some to think it’s nothing more than a myth. But Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently raised the expectations of fans by saying that a Surface Phone could be “the ultimate mobile device”. Should it truly exist, the Surface Phone is expected to arrive in 2017 with a 5.5in Quad-HD AMOLED display, 4GB of RAM, 64- and 128GB storage options (with microSD support) , a 64-bit Intel processor and 21Mp rear- and 8Mp front cameras. The Surface Phone could also get a Surface Pen and a USB-C port. Read more about the Surface Phone.
Most of the phones in this list are here because they are the ‘best’ in the sense that they have the best screens or most powerful performance or crazy cameras. The Moto G5s and Moto G5s Plus earn a place on this list for being the best value. Announced on 1 August 2017, the G5s and its bigger brother are special editions of the G5 and G5s that were released earlier this year. The exact release date has not been confirmed, but we know they will go on sale in early August, costing £219 and £259 respectively (the Moto G5 costs £179 and the G5 Plus £249) . A more premium design with a metal unibody is the first difference you’ll notice in the new Moto G5s. Inside the battery capacity has also been increased, and the camera upgraded from 13Mp to 16Mp with PDAF. The screen has also been bumped up to 5.2in. The Plus model has also had something of a redesign, and you’ll now find dual 13Mp cameras at the rear and a new 8Mp camera at the front, complete with an LED flash. Its screen also sees an upgrade, now at 5.5in. Read more about the Moto G5s and Moto G5s Plus.
The Moto Z2 Force was announced on 25 July 2017, and scheduled to go on sale in the US on 10 August. European availability will come later in 2017. The Z2 Force is a tough smartphone with a ShatterShield screen and Quad-HD 5.5in AMOLED display. Just 6mm thin it has a good-looking metal shell, though unfortunately one that lacks a headphone jack. Two 12Mp cameras are found on the rear, while inside is the hardware you’d expect from a flagship: the Snapdragon 835,4GB of RAM (likely 6GB in the UK) and 64GB of storage with microSD support. Read more about the upcoming Moto Z2 here.
Nokia has finally announced its 599€ Nokia 8, which will go on sale in September. But there was no announcement for the Nokia 9, which is expected to be the more exciting of the two with an 18: 9 display. The Nokia 8 is built for content creators, with Car Zeiss cameras, a ‘Bothie’ capture mode that captures the full picture by combining front (13Mp) and rear (dual-13Mp) cameras, and Nokia Ozo audio recording. Nokia phones are different to rival Android phones in three main ways: through Nokia’s relentless focus on the everyday experience; through its premium design and build quality; and through its use of the purest version of Android you have seen, with monthly security updates, fast Android platform updates and the implementation of the Google Assistant across the range. Read more about the Nokia 8 and Nokia 9. Also check out rumours on an upcoming Nokia 2 and Nokia 7.
Samsung announced its Note 8 at an Unpacked press conference on 23 August. It’s available to pre-order now, and goes on sale on 15 September at £869. As we expected there’s a 6.3in Quad-HD SuperAMOLED Infinity Display with support for the enhanced S Pen stylus – this now has improved pressure sensitivity, a refined tip, allows you to create, edit and pin notes to the Always-on display, and can translate entire sentences, units and currencies. The Note 8 is also the first Samsung flagship to offer a dual-camera, with twin telephoto and wide-angle 12Mp lenses that both offer OIS.
