UPCOMING SMARTPHONES IN 2017

The best new phones of 2017 are yet to be announced. Before you upgrade your current smartphone, read the latest news and rumours on the best new phones launching in 2017.

Phones to look forward to in the coming year

1. Apple iPhone 8
2. Samsung Galaxy S8 & Galaxy Note 8
3. Google Pixel 2
4. Xiaomi Mi 6 & Mi Mix 2
5. LG G6
6. HTC 11
7. OnePlus 4
8. Nokia 8
9. Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The best new phones of 2017 will offer faster performance and longer battery life, thanks to 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.

Apple iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus

iPhone 8 release date: September 2017

Apple is set to go big on the iPhone's 10th anniversary, which could go some way to make up for this year's relatively minor upgrade. 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.

According to an Apple supplier, at least one of the company's new iPhones for 2017 will have a glass body. The TouchID scanner is thought to be hidden within the glass, while the physical Home button will be gone.

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.

(Image via ConceptsiPhone.) 

BlackBerry KEYone

Forget what you read, BlackBerry is not dead. The new KEYone, which will be available in April, runs Nougat 7.1 and resembles a thinner version of the BlackBerry Passport, retaining the clever under-keyboard touch trackpad to help navigate the screen and scroll through apps.

Although it has a mid-range Snapdragon 625 processor, its £499 price tag is anything but. Then again, those after the KEYone are unlikely to care. The BlackBerry brand elicits a fierce loyalty from its now small customer base.

Google Pixel 2

The next Google phone is said to include waterproofing an improved camera that excels with low-light photography. However, the price is likely to go up as a result - by at least $50.

We know that the new Google phone will be the first to run Android O, for which the Developer Preview is now available. 

A recent concept video has suggested a Really Red model, though this may be no more than it poking fun at the recently launch Really Blue Google Pixel.

HTC 11

HTC has launched its new phones at MWC in recent years, but skipped the show in 2016 and held its own event to unveil the HTC 10 (pictured). HTC was once again a no-show at MWC 2017, though we expect to see a new HTC flagship any day now.

If you thought the last two HTC flagships were a little boring, prepare to be blown away by the HTC 11. If true, it will have a Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a higher-capacity battery with Quick Charge 4.0 and a 5.5in Quad-HD screen.

That's a very high-end spec, so we'd guess that the entry model would have less storage at the very least.

Huawei P10

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are shiny, colourful and boast features ideal for selfie takers. Reminiscent of the Huawei P9 in design, the P10 has a few subtle changes, with the fingerprint scanner now at the front of the phone, and Dazzling Blue and Greenery colour options. 

Those with a keen eye will also notice a new finish, which Huawei dubs the hyper-diamond cut, and is available on the dazzling blue and dazzling gold P10.

The P10's internals are almost identical to those of the Huawei Mate 9, which launched in November 2016. It uses the same Kirin 960 processor, Mali G71 GPU, same amount of RAM (4GB) and even boasts the same amount of storage, at 64GB.

Those looking for more power can instead opt for the Huawei P10 Plus, which features 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

The standard Huawei P10 features a 5.1in Full HD IPS display, while the Huawei P10 Plus features a slightly larger 5.5in WQHD IPS display with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels.

LG G6

At MWC 2017 LG announced its latest flagship, the LG G6. The device boasts an impressive Quad HD 5.7in display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, taller than the standard 16:9.

It ditches the modular design of 2016’s G5, instead opting for a metal and glass design with non-removable battery, but keeps the excellent dual camera set up of its predecessor. It's also the first non-Google phone to come with the Google Assistant.

LG has confirmed the G6 will be available in Korea on 9 March, with the US to get the device on 7 April. At the time of writing, a European and UK release date is not confirmed. We expect it to also be in April.

Microsoft Surface Phone

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 last month 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, and there's talk it could feature a foldable screen following a Microsoft patent for such a technology.

Microsoft is expected to hold an event in early 2017 to unveil its updated Surface Pro 5, so this is the next possible release date for the Surface Phone.

Nokia Android phones

Nokia used to be the biggest and best-known mobile phone manufacturer, but in 2011 it made the fatal mistake of agreeing to produce only Windows phones. Fast-forward to 2014 and Nokia as we knew it was dead.

But now Nokia is getting back into the mobile phone game, with the China-only Nokia 6 running Android announced in January. That phone is now coming to the UK, as well as two more Nokia Android phones: the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5.

Nokia Android phones are said to be 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.

But we're more excited about the upcoming Nokia 8 flagship - and there's a rumour there could be two models.

OnePlus 4

OnePlus has just announced its OnePlus 3T, which is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 3 with a processor and battery boost, plus a new selfie camera. It's an improvement sure, but OnePlus 3 fans won't be in a rush to upgrade.

More exciting for OnePlus fans, then, will be the OnePlus 4 expected in May/June 2017. Its slightly later launch than other 2017 flagships could be a huge advantage this time around, meaning it could get the Snapdragon 835 while they are all stuck with the 821. We could also see the 5.5in full-HD display upgraded to a Quad-HD model.

Other rumours suggest the OnePlus 4 will come with 8GB of RAM, a 21- or 23Mp camera and a 3,500- to 4,000mAh battery with Dash Charge. One thing we're sure of is that it will run OxygenOS, a custom UI that will be based on Android 7.0 Nougat.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Following the Note 7 problems there are a lot of whispers about Samsung at the moment. The failure of the Note 7 has badly bruised its reputation, and it's hurt its bottom line.

Some say it will look to mend its reputation by announcing the Note 8 in March 2017 alongside the Galaxy S8, while others say it will drop its Note line altogether. Samsung thinks differently, and it isn't about to give up on its second annual cash cow just yet. We'd expect to see the Note 8 in August 2017.

Surefire specs include a 5.7in Quad-HD or SuperAMOLED screen with S Pen support, a powerful processor and RAM combo capable of the very best mobile VR experience, a dual camera, waterproofing and more.

Check out UNBOXING THERAPY down for video review.

Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S8 release date: 28 April 2017 (pre-order from 29 March)

Samsung has just taken the wraps off its new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plussmartphones. Not much was left to the imagination ahead of the launch, and there weren't any surprises in the specification.

The key difference between the two phones is the size of the screen, with the Galaxy S8 now measuring 5.8in and the Plus model 6.2in. Both have a crazy-high-res 2960x1440-pixel display, Gorilla Glass 5 and dual curved edges.

Inside is a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of fast UFS storage. 

Check out " DOES SAMSUNG S8 SUCKS" in UNBOX THERAPY link below:

Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8 Plus

Samsung Galaxy X release date: Q3 2017 (TBC)

The bendable phone will finally be a reality in 2017 if rumours are to be believed. Samsung is allegedly going to ship 100,000 units of its Galaxy X fold-out phone in the third quarter of this year, though expect it to be expensive.

(SOME ASUMPTION PICTURES ON INTERNET)

The Galaxy X, previously known as Project Valley, is thought to be a smartphone with a dual-screen (one on each side) that folds out to reveal a 7in tablet. An 8in tablet that folds up into a 5in phone has also been rumoured.

Key specs are said to include a 4K screen, the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, and dual-cameras.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Sony Xperia XZ Premium release date: Spring 2017

At MWC 2017 Sony introduced us to the XZ Premium, just six months after it announced the Sony Xperia XZ.

One of the most interesting things about this phone is that it will run the Snapdragon 835, and the rest of the tech industry was under the impression Samsung had the exclusive on this chip until its Galaxy S8 launches on 29 March. Of course, the new XZ Premium isn't expected until the Spring, and this may be why.

Actually, that's not entirely fair, because the XZ Premium is an interesting phone. The top feature Sony is promoting is the large 5.5in screen, which is the first in a smartphone to feature 4K HDR. This sort of makes it a successor to the Z5 Premium, the first 4K phone.

Sony is known for some of the best phone cameras and it thinks the XZ Premium has one of the best ever put in a mobile. The resolution has dropped to 19Mp but the pixels are 19 percent bigger and the camera can shoot in a jaw dropping 960fps super slow motion.

Snapchat Smartphone

Okay, let's be honest here, we're not actually entirely convinced that a Snapchat smartphone will ever exist, let alone become a reality in 2017. We think it more likely the company is working on a connected camera, but there is certainly talk of a Snapchat phone.

Parent company Snap has recently been on a hiring spree for several hardware positions, particularly in the mobile space, and of the 36 employees it has hired since August 16 have pervious experience from Motorola, seven from Apple, six from Google, three from HTC, and one each from Verizon and Nokia.

Should a Snapchat smartphone come to reality it will likely be the ultimate selfie phone, and perhaps the first phone to feature a 360-degree camera.

Okay, let's be honest here, we're not actually entirely convinced that a Snapchat smartphone will ever exist, let alone become a reality in 2017. We think it more likely the company is working on a connected camera, but there is certainly talk of a Snapchat phone.

Parent company Snap has recently been on a hiring spree for several hardware positions, particularly in the mobile space, and of the 36 employees it has hired since August 16 have pervious experience from Motorola, seven from Apple, six from Google, three from HTC, and one each from Verizon and Nokia.

Should a Snapchat smartphone come to reality it will likely be the ultimate selfie phone, and perhaps the first phone to feature a 360-degree camera.

Okay, let's be honest here, we're not actually entirely convinced that a Snapchat smartphone will ever exist, let alone become a reality in 2017. We think it more likely the company is working on a connected camera, but there is certainly talk of a Snapchat phone.

Parent company Snap has recently been on a hiring spree for several hardware positions, particularly in the mobile space, and of the 36 employees it has hired since August 16 have pervious experience from Motorola, seven from Apple, six from Google, three from HTC, and one each from Verizon and Nokia.

Should a Snapchat smartphone come to reality it will likely be the ultimate selfie phone, and perhaps the first phone to feature a 360-degree camera.

Xiaomi Mi5c

Xiaomi Mi 5c release date: 28 February 2017 

With its Mi5C Xiaomi joins Apple (A-series), Samsung (Exynos) and Huawei (Kirin) in producing its own SoC (system on a chip), which has been built on a 28nm process. This is a solution that combines the CPU, GPU, memory, USB controller, power management circuits and wireless radios.

Xiaomi's SoC is also known as 'Pinecone', and has been manufactured in partnership with Leadcore. Making its debut here in the Xiaomi Mi5C we get the Surge S1 processor.

The Surge S1 is an octa-core 64-bit processor that combines four A53 cores running at 2.2GHz and four at 1.4GHz and integrates Mali-T860 graphics. There is also 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM (versus 4GB in the Mi5) and 64GB of storage.

The Mi5C is a cheaper version of the Xiaomi Mi5, with the same 5.15in full-HD (428ppi) JDI display and front fingerprint scanner, but a slim (7.09mm) metal unibody design that weighs just 132g. The slim bezels measure just 1.6mm.

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