2015 has come to an end as far as smartphone launches are concerned. This year we saw some great devices like the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6, Honor 7, OnePlus 2, MotoX Play and many more. As we approach the new year, a whole host of smartphone launches are eagerly awaited. Here are some of the most sought after smartphones for 2016.
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7c
Apple’s next gen iPhone family has to be the most obvious choice. Thanks to Apple’s huge fanbase, variants of the seventh edition of the iPhone have already started making news. While Apple is expected to launch a cheaper 4-inch iPhone 7c in April next year, the true successors of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are supposed to be the iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus. The latter 2 smartphones are expected to be launched in September, 2016. As far as the iPhone 7c is concerned, the smartphone is expected to house the same internal hardware as the iPhone 6s.
When it comes to the iPhone7, the device is expected to have an OLED display. It is also rumoured that Apple may do away with the home button and an audio jack completely. Word has it that Apple is looking to increase the screen-body ratio of the iPhone 7 and that the smartphone may be as thin as the current iPod Touch or iPad Air2.
Samsung Galaxy S7 family
After the success of the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge Plus, Samsung is all set to launch the Galaxy S7 in January or February of 2016. The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be the first smartphone to be launched with Qualcomm’s new flagship processor, the Snapdragon 820. It is also rumored that Samsung will have exclusive rights on the Snapdragon 820 until April 2016. According to Wall Street Journal’s sources, it is expected that the Samsung Galaxy S7 would come with a pressure sensitive display and a USB Type-C port. The publication also said that some versions would come with a retina scanner. Rumours also suggest that the the device may feature a SABRE 9018AQ2M audio chip by ESS for improved sound quality. Samsung is also expected to launch the Galaxy Note 6 at IFA in 2016.
Xperia Z6
Sony is expected to launch the Xperia Z6, Xperia Z6 Compact, and Xperia Z6 Premium in the second quarter of 2016. Rumours have been doing the rounds about the device and if any of them can be believed, the Xperia Z6 will have a 4K display and will house a very large battery. Reports also suggest that the Z6 Compact may be called the Z6 mini and will have a 4 inch display. Flagship Z6 is expected to have a 5.2 inch display and the Z6 Plus is expected to have a 5.8 inch display with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. All this, after Sony claimed they will stop making smartphones!
LG G5
The LG G5 may be launched during the first quarter of 2016, with a metal unibody design. Korea’s ETNews has cited industry sources, and claims that the upcoming flagship device will feature a “full metal case” in order to compete with Samsung and Apple’s flagship phones. LG was one of the last major manufacturers to use plastic on its flagship devices, although it did offer the LG G4 with a leather rear panel giving the phone a more premium finish. The LG G5 may also come with a dual camera setup at the back, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM and an 8MP front camera.
LG V10 - 2
LG is apparently giving its custom chipset idea a second look and if rumours are to be believed, it will come out with the Nuclun 2 by second half of next year. The custom SoC is the second attempt from LG and is apparently going to be the power source for the next variant of the LG V10. As far as the specs of the second coming of the LG V10 are concerned, the phone is expected to have a 5.7″ QHD display, a fingerprint scanner, 3GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, 16MP rear and 5MP front camera.
HTC One M10
The HTC One M9 received a good response from consumers. It was definitely one of the better looking smartphones of 2015. So, when it comes to the successor, that is, HTC One M10, the device is expected to launch 2-3 months post the launch of HTC One X9, which is yet unannounced. Since the phone received a lot of complaints because of Snapdragon 810’s heating issues, it is expected that the company will feature a Snapdragon 820 processor in the One M10. the phone is also expected to have a 27MP camera, 4GB RAM, and 64GB or 128GB of internal memory.
Nextbit Robin
As far as startups go, this smartphone is definitely the most anticipated device coming out of a fresh-off-the-block company. The Nextbit Robin will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor. Its battery is engineered for efficiency to get you through the day, and its camera is optimized for taking incredible photos and videos. It will have a 5.2” IPS LCD 1080p display, Gorilla Glass 4, 2680 mAh, 13MP rear–facing camera with phase detection autofocus, dual tone flash, 5MP front–facing camera, 3GB RAM / 32 GB onboard / 100 GB online cloud storage and much more. The phone is already available for pre-order.
OnePlus 3
Apart from great hardware, we expect the OnePlus 3 to get a few basics right. To begin with NFC was missing from the OnePlus 2 and we hope it makes an appearance in the OnePlus 3. We also hope the smartphone adds fast charging. The Snapdragon 810 powering the OnePlus 2 did cause some heating issues but nonetheless, we think the company will solve this in the next flagship. Will the OnePlus 3 be what the OnePlus 2 should have been? Only time will tell.
Huawei P9
After the success of the Huawei P8 it’s only natural to want the P9. The P9 is expected to be unveiled at CES 2015 and is expected to be priced around 2888 yuan ($445 directly converted). The smartphone is expected to have a 5.2-inches 1080p screen and may run on the Unicorn 950 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM along with a dual-rear camera and laser auto focus.
The next Nexus
Huawei and LG have done a great job with the Nexus 6P and 5X respectively. The smartphones addressed every issue that consumers had since the time of the Nexus 4. So what can we expect from the next Nexus? Well, needless to say the device will have great hardware, a good camera and of course, the next version of the Android OS. Would we be asking for too much if we asked for a budget variant of the Nexus? No, we aren’t talking about ANdroid One here.
Xiaomi Mi5
Rumours circulating the internet have already told us what the smartphone may be like. All Xiaomi needs to do is launch the device. Information circulating the internet states that the smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm, along with a 16MP rear camera and a 5.2 inch QHD display. Further, there may also be a 1080p variant of the phone with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, while the QHD version will sport 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. The device will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and will sport a 3600 mAh battery.
Galaxy Note 6
Samsung revamped the Note with the Galaxy Note 5. The smartphone brought with it an all metal design, a revamped stylus and state of the art hardware. There is little we can predict what the Note 6 will bring apart from the standard. To state the obvious we think the Note 6 will bring with it a better display (maybe 4K), state of the art hardware, and maybe a stylus that can be incerted in its housing either way.
Microsoft Lumia 850
If leaked images online are to be believed, then Microsoft may be gearing up to unveil the Lumia 850 soon. If the leaks are to be believed then the smartphone may be a mere 6.92mm thick.Even though the Lumia 950 and 950XL are flagship smartphones from Microsoft, we think the lumia 850 will be at a more affordable price and bring with it features like Continnum which is one of the coolest things microsoft has done since the invention of sliced bread.
Nokia C1
Although Nokia cannot manufacture its own smartphones until 2016, as per its deal with Microsoft. It can still place its own brand name on phones and devices manufactured by others. Judging by leaked images, it looks like the Nokia brand is all set to grace a smartphone once again. That too an Android powered device. Nokia has been the go to name for well built sturdy phones. Having an Android powered smartphone from Nokia will be the realization of every nerd's dream.
Yu Yutopia 2
Yu has put in a lot of effort with the Yu Yutopia and that shows. But there is always scope for improvement. We are certain YU will take another crack at the Yutopia in 2016 with the Yutopia 2 bringing the culmination of great hardware and software to consumers at an affordable price point.
Samsung Z4 Tizen
Samsung’s Galaxy linup of smartphone may be the prefered weapon of choice when it comes to Android but thats not the only OS that Samsung is betting its money on. The Z3 may not have garnered a lot of attention and we think Samsung will learn from this and improve upon with the Z4 Tizen. We can expect the Z4 Tizen to be the budget alternative to Android smartphones.
Moto X 2016
Motorolas 2015 lineup was quite stellar with the Moto X Play, Moto X Style and the Moto G Turbo. In 2016 we think Motorola is going to go the extra mile to ensure that their devices stand out from the crowd. It is speculated that the Moto X smartphones in 2016 may come with a heat pipe to cool down its chipset. This seems like a viable strategy as we have seen smartphone makers in 2015 do the same to keep the temperature of the SoC in check.