Upcoming Android phones

 

We’ve already seen a number of great smartphones announced in 2020 including the Galaxy S20, OnePlus 8, Galaxy Note 20, and Pixel 5, among others. However, we expect to see many more in the next six months or so. Here are the best upcoming Android phones that are expected to be announced this year and in early 2021.

Best upcoming Android phones:

  1. Samsung Galaxy S30 series
  2. OnePlus 8T
  3. Xiaomi Mi 11 series
  4. Nokia 9.2/9.3 PureView
  5. LG V70 ThinQ
  6. Sony Xperia 1 III

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best upcoming Android phones regularly.

1. Samsung Galaxy S30 series

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus back 2

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

While we won’t see Samsung’s next flagship until early 2021, it’s never too early to start preparing. Of course, it’s still early in the release cycle, so most of our current information is based on rumors.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S30 series: Everything we know so far

We’re pretty much expecting the naming trend to continue after Samsung made the S10 to S20 jump. Samsung will most likely launch three main models in the series, similar to the S20 with the S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. As for specs, it’s a good bet that the S30 series will rely on the Snapdragon 875 chipset and at least 12GB of RAM.

We’ve also received conflicting reports regarding the camera setups, and it sounds like only the S30 Plus will receive a battery upgrade. It may rise from 4,500mAh to 4,800mAh, while the S30 and S30 Ultra stay put at 4,000 and 5,000mAh.

Samsung has been launching its Galaxy S series flagships in February since the Galaxy S9, so we expect that trend to continue as well.

  • Launch ETA: February 2021

2. OnePlus 8T

OnePlus 8 series cameras 2

 

We are going to get our hands on the “T” iteration of OnePlus’ 2020 phone quite soon. As we get closer to OnePlus’ October 14 launch event, more information about the upcoming Android smartphone is trickling through.

It’s all conjecture at this point, but there have been some interesting leaks so far. OnePlus’ Android 11 Developer Preview might have provided imagery of the OnePlus 8T. If you were hoping were a design overhaul though, you’ll likely be disappointed. Collaborating with this leak is another rumor about a largely unchanged design.

The second rumor also suggests that some Pro features might make it over to the 8T, like a 120Hz display. Further, the 8T will reportedly move to a quad rear camera array. The main 48MP sensor will possibly receive an upgrade, and there will a better 5MP macro camera and 2MP portrait lens as well. This goes against a previous rumor that suggested that the 8T would feature a 64MP main camera, so it’ll be interesting to see what route OnePlus chooses.

A potentially huge shake-up is the fact that OnePlus will only release the OnePlus 8T and skip a Pro edition this time around. It makes sense in some ways, especially if the 8T gets all the high-end features of the 8 Pro.

  • Launch ETA: October 14, 2020

3. Xiaomi Mi 11 series

upcoming Xiaomi Mi 11 phone

Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
 

Like the Samsung Galaxy S30 series, we’re not expecting to see Xiaomi’s next flagships until early in 2021. They are international devices of mystery at this point, and they may not even be called the Mi 11 — Xiaomi could always make a name jump to the Mi 20.

What we do know is that the next devices in the Xiaomi Mi series will sport a Snapdragon 875 SoC and it may feature an under-display selfie camera. Once again, many of these specs are rumored, but the Mi 11 handsets should ship with MIUI 12 on board, based on Android 11. We may see a top-notch quad-camera setup highlighted by a 108MP shooter.

Depending on where you look, the Xiaomi Mi 11 may launch with a 6.44-inch display, a 6.67-inch display, or a 6.9-inch display. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of rumors and it’s tough to know which sources to trust. It’s certainly one of the more mysterious upcoming phone series on the list.

  • Launch ETA: Early 2021

4. Nokia 9.2/9.3 PureView

Nokia 9 PureView Review

 

Nokia is working on the successor to last year’s 9 PureView. The phone is expected to be called the Nokia 9.2 PureView, although some claim it might go under 9.3 PureView instead.

It’s expected to be a flagship device, sporting the Snapdragon 865 chipset and an under-display selfie camera. It may be among the first phones to sport this feature, which would allow for a full-screen experience without the use of a pop-up camera module.

We hope to see improvements when it comes to the camera. Although the Nokia 9 PureView had five sensors at the back, it wasn’t the best when it came to photography. Rumors have it that Nokia will go with a more traditional normal/wide/telephoto camera layout this time around and that it is working on improving its software. You can check out all the latest rumors surrounding the phone at the link.

The release date of Nokia’s upcoming Android phone hasn’t been announced yet, but rumors suggest the phone will make its debut this fall — sometime between October and December 21.

  • Launch ETA: Fall 2020

5. LG V70 ThinQ

LG V60 camera macro 1

 

LG’s V-series is often one of the more underrated releases of the year, and it’s always worth looking forward to. It started out as a premium companion to the G-series, and it’s now the main flagship to come from LG.

 

However, we still know precious little about the next iteration of this powerful phone. The first four LG V-series devices launched in the fall, while the V50 and V60 each launched in February. If we have to guess, the LG V70 will most likely follow the pricing scheme of the V60, staying comfortably below the $1,000 threshold. We should see the new V70 sport the latest Snapdragon 875 SoC, and early rumors suggest a 6.4-inch display.