Need a New Smartphone? Keep an Eye Out for These Upcoming Devices What we know so far about phones that are expected this year, including the Samsung Galaxy Note III, a new iPhone and more.
By Kevin Smith •
This story originally appeared on Business Insider
This year, expect to see some amazing new mobile devices.
With newcomers like Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo entering the smartphone space, our favorite manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, LG and HTC will be forced to pump up their offerings, meaning good things are in store for the end user.
Based on past product release cycles and a few leaks, we're seeing a lot of cool upcoming smartphones from all the big players.
Check out the gallery below to see the most important phones that will launch this year.
Tinh TeThe Blackberry Z10 will either save or destroy BlackBerry
Blackberry's latest smartphone has been announced. The all touchscreen Z10 will run a new mobile operating system called BlackBerry 10.
Some features include:
- 4.2-inch HD display
- 16GB of storage
- 8MP real camera
- 2GB of RAM
- NFC
- 4G/LTE
- 1800mAh battery
Related: First Photos Of BlackBerry's Two New Smartphones, The Z10 And Q10
SamMobileSamsung is working on its next flagship, the Galaxy S IV
There are rumors speculating Samsung will announce its next flagship device, the Galaxy S IV, in either April or May.
Here's what we know about the smartphone so far:
- Processor: 8-core Exynos 5 Octa clocked at 1.8GHz (That's insanely fast)
- 5-inch edge-to-edge 440 ppi display that can show full HD video
- 2GB of RAM (This will help the phone move even faster)
- 13 MP camera rear-facing camera with 1080p (HD) video capture (13-megapixels is the new standard for smartphone rear cameras)
- 2- MP front-facing camera with 720p (HD) video capture for video chatting
- Wireless charging using the Qi standard.
- No physical button on the face.
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2.1 (The most current version of Android)
Getty ImagesThe next iPhone
The rumor mill started churning just a few short months after the iPhone 5 was released last year. Some expect Apple to launch an iPhone 5S, which will look nearly identical to the iPhone 5, but have improved internal specs.
There's also a rumor that the next iPhone could launch in June and come in 6-8 colors.
Steve Kovach, Business InsiderSamsung Galaxy Note III will reportedly have a 6-inch display
The Galaxy Note III will be Samsung's third phone/tablet hybrid device. Early rumors suggest the Galaxy Note III's screen will be even larger than its predecessors, or at least 6 inches. That's only an inch smaller than the screen on the Kindle Frire HD tablet.
There is also word that the processor will be similar to the one used in the Galaxy S IV, a 8-core monster, which Samsung claims uses 70% less battery.
Kevin Smith/Business InsiderSony Xperia Z has a giant screen and is water resistant
We got our hands on the Xperia Z at CES 2013 and loved it.
The Xperia Z runs the latest version on Android and it's key features include a full HD Reality Display with the same technology as Sony's television line, a 13-megapixel camera, a dust- and water-resistant body, an anti-scratch coating and a quad-core processor.
Sony's website says the Xperia Z is coming soon.
_Huawei Ascend Mate is another big phone/tablet hybrid that runs Android
The Ascend Mate was another smartphone that we got to see at CES 2013. The massive 6.1-inch smartphone is one of the biggest we've ever seen.
Huawei was able to pack a lot of features into the huge smartphone and the design was executed well; the Ascend Mate didn't feel inexpensive.
Features include a 720p HD display with 361-ppi screen, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 8MP camera, 4050mAh battery, and the latest version of Android called Jelly Bean.
The Ascend Mate launches in China this month, but is expected to be released in other markets soon.
EngadgetLG Optimus G Pro will be one of the most powerful phones you can buy this year
Continuing the trend of massive smartphones in 2013, LG plans to release the Optimus G Pro at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Key specs include a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, 13-megapixel camera, huge 3000mAH battery, and the latest version of Android Jelly Bean 4.1.
Phone ArenaHTC's "M7" will be the company's new flagship phone
HTC's 2013 flagship phone is expected to be the M7. (That's likely just a codename.) Rumors suggest the M7 will have a nearly edge-to-edge display.
Not much else is known, but HTC will likely announce the M7 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.
APA more affordable iPhone?
Reports suggest that Apple will release a budget iPhone at some point this year using less expensive materials.
Bloomberg and the WSJ both are reporting that the phone will supposedly retail in the $99-$149 price range.
Related: A Really Good Guess At What An iPhone With A Big Screen Could Look Like
RadioShack BlogZTE has a nice-looking Android phone on the way
The ZTE Grand S is another breakout from CES 2013. Physically, the phone looks great and is thin and light.
The ZTE is also packed with great specs like a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a HD screen. But initial impressions say the phone is slightly unresponsive, and a bit laggy.
Hopefully ZTE can get it together before the phone is released later this year.
Tom's HardwareLenovo's new phone is thinner than the iPhone 5
Lenovo's 5.5-inch HD smartphone is packed with the latest dual-core Intel processor.
Besides running extremely fast, the smartphone is made from brushed steel, is only 6.9mm thick (thinner than iPhone 5), has 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera, and will run Android.
Unfortunately, the K900 doesn't support LTE, which means you won't get the fastest data speeds possible.
Tom's Hardware who saw the K900 at CES says, the smartphone is scheduled to launch in China this April, and in Lenovo's other phone markets (India, Russia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines) soon after.
Steve Kovach, Business InsiderThe next Nokia Lumia Windows Phone will be made of high-quality materials
Not much is known about Nokia's next flagship Windows 8 phone.
Rumors speculate that the smartphone will have an aluminum body and killer camera, but that's about all we know.
Rumors also suggest that this phone could be a Verizon exclusive, as sources have revealed to The Verge. The device is codenamed the "Laser."
Steve Kovach, Business InsiderMicrosoft might launch its own Windows Phone this year
Speaking of Windows Phones, it's been widely speculated that Microsoft will make its own phone later this year. There have even been a few reports that the so-called Surface Phone is already in production and will have some features not found on other Windows Phones.
MotorolaMotorola and Google are working on a phone
Even though Google says it plans to run Motorola as a separate entity, there have been a string of reports that the companies are working together on a so-called "Google X Phone."
Details beyond that are pretty slim, but CNET speculates that the phone could arrive as early as Google I/O in May.
Related: Now It's Up To The FCC To Okay Google Glass
