New upcoming future smartphones of 2021

Smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, that there's anticipation for the next big thing.

Here we look at those phones that haven't yet launched, the upcoming phones for 2021. We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting.

As for already-launched handsets, we've rounded up the best smartphones for 2020 elsewhere - those we consider to be the best across all platforms. If your budget is a little smaller, there is also our budget smartphones for under £200 feature - and there's a mid-range roundup up to £400 as well.

The upcoming generation of phones

Before we dive into the detail, here are some of the anticipated handsets for 2020 and 2021:

Xiaomi Mi 11: It's expected that Xiaomi will be first out of the door to confirm that it's going to be using the latest Qualcomm hardware - so we're expecting an announcement during the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit in December 2020. No other details have appeared, but we'll know something soon enough.

Huawei Mate X2: Huawei's next-gen folding phone reportedly has the codename Teton and will shift from the design of the original Mate X with the display on the exterior to one with the display on the interior. Not a lot else has been said about this phone, but we might see it showcased in October 2020.

Nokia 7.3 5G: Nokia is looking to add another affordable 5G phone to its selection and it's rumoured that this phone will use with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G hardware or MediaTek Dimensity. Nokia has confirmed it's working on more affordable 5G device and that there will be devices on this new Qualcomm hardware in the future.

Nokia 9.3 PureView: Rumours of a new flagship have been circulating for well over a year, with no sign of the elusive handset. There was the suggestion that Nokia would be holding an event in November to launch new devices however, and the Nokia 9.3 PureView might be on the list, but it's been some time since we've seen any leaks - and more recently, a leaked doc has hinted at a Nokia 10. We now suspect there will be a February update.

Samsung Galaxy S21: The Samsung Galaxy S21 could take Samsung in a slightly cheaper direction with an interested inegrated camera housing in the top corner of the rear. A 6.2-inch flat display could adorn the S21 and we're assuming there will be a larger S21+ launched alongside. Rumours are suggesting a January of February 2021 launch.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Samsung's next-gen of smartphones are already seeing numerous leaks. We're expecting a February 2021 launch, we're expecting the Ultra to keep the big battery and big megapixel cameras and we're expecting next-gen 5nm processors from Exynos. A design with huge rear camera housing as recently leaked, showing off a fresh new design.

LG future flagship: LG is said to be preparing a future flagship phone launch, which is expect in Q1 2021. Little has been said about what to expect, but the general feeling is that it's going to be based on the V series of devices.

OnePlus 9, 9 Pro and 9E: OnePlus has been fairly regular in launching its devices and spring 2021 would be when we'd expect to see the OnePlus 9. Rumours are suggesting the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro and perhaps a more affordable model called the OnePlus 9E. Renders have surfaced, making the OnePlus 9 Pro looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.

LG Velvet 2: It's thought that LG will be launching an update the Velvet - the Velvet 2. It's expected around March 2021 on updated Snapdragon 700 series hardware - probably to be announced at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit. Little else is known about the phone, but we expect it to be an incremental update.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Samsung is focusing its efforts on foldable phones and we're expecting it see a new Flip in 2021. So far the only information we've heard is that it's expected to launch separately to the Galaxy S update, so we think it will appear in June 2021. The display is said to get an update to 120Hz for smoother scrolling.

Apple iPhone 13: The iPhone 12 has only just launched, but we're already hearing that Apple might be looking at an under-display Touch ID system. Knowing Apple, the design of the new iPhone would take the same design as the 12, but will it reduce the notch on that display?

Xiaomi flip phone: Xiaomi has shown off a number of folding prototypes in the past, but now there's talk that the company is looking to source components from Samsung Display. It's believed that Xiaomi is interested in producing a folding phone similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. There's also been some code discovered in MIUI hinting at a future folding phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 at high costo

 Hi there everyone welcome to my website Technology Talks. Today we are going to introduce you the concept of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The device will definitely ditch notches or punch hole cameras.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is still pretty far off but info starts to emerge lately. This one, for example, gives some insight into the possible pricing of the handset.

The cited source has an excellent leak track record but warns not to take it as a sure thing yet. The report says that the price of the Z Fold3 will be the same as the Z Fold2 while adding quite a few improvements suggesting a Z Fold3 pricing in the $2,000 ballpark.

Even though it's too early to tell, we can see why Samsung won't lower the price further. Its main goal, for now, is not to make it more affordable but to improve the overall user experience of the form factor. And, of course, Samsung is basically running uncontested in the foldable segment for now so it doesn't need to lower the price to improve its competitiveness.

2020 Mi 10T Pro 5G

 Xaomi’s Mi 10 series is the company’s current flagship lineup, and it consists of the Mi 10, the Mi 10 Pro, the Mi 10 Lite, the Mi 10 Lite Zoom/Mi 10 Youth Edition, and the Mi 10 Ultra.

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro in India, just a day after OnePlus 8T was unveiled. The timing of the launch does not seem coincidental, and going by the aggressive pricing and features of these new models, Xiaomi's intentions are pretty clear. The Mi 10T 5G and Mi 10T Pro 5G share nearly the same specifications, with the only major difference being the primary rear camera.

The highlight feature of the Mi 10T series is the 144Hz refresh rate LCD display, which is an impressive specification to have at a starting price of Rs. 35,999. Both these models are priced below the Mi 10 5G, but offer largely upgraded features and specifications. I've been using the Mi 10T Pro 5G for about a day, and here are my first impressions of it.

Xiaomi didn't send me the retail box so all I really got was the phone, without any of the accessories. This is the Cosmic Black colour, which looks very flashy but is also a massive magnet for fingerprints. There's Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the display, back panel, and camera module, which is always appreciated. However, having glass all over also makes this phone incredibly slippery without a case.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the sheer size of this phone. I'm used to large displays, but the Mi 10T Pro 5G is also quite thick at 9.33mm and very heavy at 218g. The camera module protrudes quite a bit, causing the phone to wobble if you're trying to use it laying down on its back. However, the overall build quality and finish are superb. If you're not a fan of the glossy back panel, the Lunar Silver version is said to have a matte finish.

The Mi 10T Pro 5G has stereo speakers, an IR emitter, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, and a dual-SIM tray. There's no headphone jack or IP rating. Xiaomi has also removed the wireless charging feature seen in the Mi 10 5G, possibly to save on costs.

Xiaomi has mainly focused its efforts on the Mi 10T Pro 5G's display. It's a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a full-HD+ resolution, and it supports HDR10 video playback. The display also boasts of certifications from JNCD and TUV Rheinland for colour accuracy and low blue light emissions, respectively. The main feature though is its 144Hz refresh rate. Xiaomi claims that the Mi 10T Pro 5G can dynamically change refresh rates from 30Hz all the way up to 144Hz, depending on the type of content being viewed. So far, the Asus ROG Phone 3 (Review) has been the only smartphone with a 144Hz refresh rate display in India, so it's nice to have more options.

The display seems to get quite bright and colour reproduction seemed good in the short time I've been using this phone. The 144Hz refresh rate makes system animations and scrolling through menus feel more fluid, but I don't think there are many applications yet that can take advantage of such a high refresh rate. Stay tuned for the full report in our detailed review, coming up soon.

One thing I didn't quite like about the Mi 10T Pro 5G is the mild vignetting or colour fringing that's visible around the edges of the display and the cutout for the selfie camera. I've only noticed this in some system menus so far due to the white backgrounds, but it isn't apparent otherwise.

Just like the Mi 10 5G, the Mi 10T Pro 5G uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and is only available in one configuration, with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There's a 5,000mAh battery and support for 33W fast charging, as well as NFC and Wi-Fi 6. The phone runs on MIUI 12 which is feature-rich, and thankfully, I haven't encountered many spammy notifications yet.

The Mi 10T Pro 5G has a 108-megapixel primary rear camera, while the Mi 10T 5G has a 64-megapixel sensor. This is pretty much the main difference between these two phones. The back of the Mi 10T Pro 5G also has 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and 5-megapixel macro cameras. The selfie camera has a 20-megapixel resolution. The camera features are similar to what we saw on the Mi 10 5G, which include 8K video recording, manual video mode, etc. There's a lot to test here, and so far, the specifications look promising.