Smartphones: what else should you expect in 2017?

The smartphone industry has seen a ton of high-profile launches already. We’ve had the LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8, the Huawei P10 and a host of other devices launch globally and/or in South Africa.

The year isn’t over yet though, and there are quite a few more announced/unannounced smartphones set to launch as well. We take a look at some of the obvious and not so obvious devices…

Apple

It’s inevitable that Apple will launch a new iPhone in September or October, having done so for the past four or five years at the very least (the iPhone SE was the most recent exception).

The latest rumours claim that Apple is working on three 2017 iPhones, in the form of the standard and plus-sized iPhones and an iPhone with an OLED screen. Expect the OLED screen to offer deeper blacks and vivid colours, obviously.

Apparently, the reason for only having one OLED-equipped iPhone is because demand is so high. It makes sense though, given recent reports in the industry…

Google

We apparently know the codenames for Google’s new smartphones, being called Muskie and Walleye. Expect them to feature Snapdragon 835 chips (following the long tradition of using Qualcomm flagship silicon) and to come in standard and XL-sized variants.

However, the latest leak claims that a third Google device is in the works, with the codename Taimen. It’s unclear if this is a smartphone or tablet, but the codename does follow Google’s tradition of naming its phones/tablets after fish.

HTC

The Taiwanese firm doesn’t have a local presence, with its last few devices being the HTC One M9 and the HTC One A9. But what should you expect for the rest of the year anyway?

The HTC U11 has been leaked already, being almost identical to the earlier HTC U Ultra, down to the absent headphone jack, comprehensive audio recording capabilities and 3000mAh battery. However, the biggest change is expected to be the addition of squeezable edges, apparently used for quickly activating functions or navigating through menus.

The U11 is also slated to come with a Snapdragon 835 processor, besting the Snapdragon 821 in the U Ultra. Here’s hoping we see an HTC smartphone with an audio jack…

Huawei

The P10 and P10 Plus launch event takes place today (10 May), but you just know that the Chinese brand is hard at work on the Mate 10.

The company’s Mate phablets are usually released in China at the tail-end of the year, as evident by the Mate 8 and Mate 9. And if it follows this schedule, we can expect new silicon in these chips as well.

Last year saw Huawei drastically improve matters with the Kirin 960 chip, featuring 4K recording, A73 cores and a heavy-lifting Mali G71 MP8 GPU. We’re not sure what to expect with the Mate 10 then (will it be the Kirin 970 name?), but you can bet your bottom dollar that the P10’s Portrait Mode will be present.

If the Mate 10 does indeed get revealed at the end of the year, expect the handset to launch in South Africa in Q1 2018.

The Huawei Nova 2 is apparently another device set for release by the firm this year, Android Authority reports, with the first-gen devices launched late last year. Details are unclear at this stage, but the TENAA filing shows a dual-camera setup.

LG

We really liked the LG G6 (review), being an admirable return to form for the Korean company. But the firm is almost certainly preparing another device in its V-series for the second half of the year. After all, the V10 launched a few months after the G4, and the V20 was revealed a few months after the G5.

The phone, which we assume will be called the V30, will apparently pack two front cameras and a secondary ticker display, according to a user on Slash Leaks. Meanwhile, The Investor claims that LG Display will supply curved AMOLED screens to LG Mobile for the next V-series handset.

As for tentative specs? We’re expecting a similar dual-camera arrangement (normal and wide) and a move to the Snapdragon 835 chip. Here’s hoping we get it in South Africa.

Nokia/HMD

We saw the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 being revealed at MWC 2017 (well, the Nokia 6 was originally announced earlier this year), being budget devices with mostly pure Android. Then there was the 3310, effectively being an overpriced feature phone riding on the 3310 name.

We know that HMD is planning to launch in South Africa, but we’ve got no idea of a release or pricing window just yet. Nor do we know for sure which devices will be coming to South Africa.

Then there’s the heavily rumoured Nokia 8, apparently being the flagship device for 2017. We don’t know much about this, but fan sites are hoping for extremely capable cameras and a Snapdragon 835 processor. HMD will have an uphill battle for the former though, owing to the issue of camera patents.

OnePlus

The cult favourite Android brand has already confirmed to another website and to us that the OnePlus 5 is coming. But is the phone shaping up to be a hit?

Two online retailers have uploaded listings of the phone, but it’s not clear whether the specs are legit or not. In any event, the retailers show the phone as having a 4000mAh battery, Snapdragon 835 chip, a ridiculous 8GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch 1440p display.

I would like to see a refreshed OnePlus X though, with the mid-range OnePlus being released back in 2015.

Samsung

The Galaxy S8 is one of the best smartphones released in 2017 thus far, aside from our annoyance with the fingerprint scanner, but you just know that the Note 8 is set for release later this year.

In fact, Samsung confirmed in the wake of the Note 7 scandal that it was indeed working on the Note 8. Expect the S8’s iris-scanner, dual-curved display and Exynos 8895 chip to land in the Note 8. And expect a stylus too, obviously.

Xiaomi

The Mi 6 will hopefully make its way to South Africa, courtesy of MIA Group, but what else should we expect from the popular Chinese company?

Well, the Mi Mix was incredibly innovative, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a sequel launching, especially with recent reports claiming as such. Otherwise, the firm’s Mi Note phones will be due for an upgrade at the end of the year, so keep an eye on that lineup as well.

Then again, the company is also known for constantly refreshing existing phones and slapping an “S” on the end.