The best new phones coming in 2021

Xiaomi has unveiled the Mi 11 series in China, but while it’s on sale there now, all that is known of the global launch is that it is ‘coming soon’.

Mi 11 is notable for being the company’s first phone with a 2K resolution screen – and, in fact, it’s a very good panel, rated A+ by DisplayMate. It’s also the world’s first Snapdragon 888 smartphone, with the promise of blistering performance.

Other highlights in the spec include a 120Hz refresh rate, Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers that support wireless sharing with two pairs of earphones or two speakers, a 108Mp triple-lens camera, 55W wired- and 50W wireless charging for the 4,600mAh battery, and an in-display fingerprint sensor that integrates a heart-rate sensor.

It costs the same as the outgoing Mi 10, with a base price of 3999 yuan (£453/US$612).

Read more about the Xiaomi Mi 11.

Like the Mi 11, the X60 series is available now in China, but we’re still waiting for word on when – or even if – the phones will launch in the rest of the world.

The X60 and X60 Pro – there’s a Pro+ on the way later too – share 120Hz AMOLED displays and the 5nm Samsung Exynos 1080 chipset, along with 33W charging and 48Mp main cameras.

The standard phone also includes a 2x zoom portrait lens and ultrawide, with the Pro throwing in a 5x zoom periscope lens too – all developed with support from Zeiss.

Get the latest Vivo X60 news.

There’s nothing official yet, but Honor is expected to unveil its V40 series some time in January, with at least two phones likely to arrive.

Rumours point to a 120Hz high-refresh-rate Full HD+ display with a dual hole-punch front-facing camera setup, a 50Mp RYYB-pixel-arranged primary camera, and impressive 66W wired charging alongside 40W wireless charging.

This might just be for the top-end model, with other V40 devices dropping to 90Hz and tweaking the camera specs. Similarly Huawei‘s new Kirin 9000 processor is expected to be limited to the top model, though we’re not sure yet if Huawei’s sale of Honor will affect which chipsets are used in the new devices.

Get the latest Honor V40 series news.

In recent years Samsung has preferred to hold its own Unpacked announcements for the S-series flagships in February, but this year we’re going to see the Galaxy S21 series a little earlier on 14 January 2020.

It’s likely the new line-up will move to the new Snapdragon 888 processor, at least in the US, and we’d be surprised if 5G didn’t come as standard across the range.

The S21 is likely to feature a design evolution rather than revolution, with the same 120Hz (possibly even 144Hz) displays and tweaked 108Mp cameras we saw introduced in 2020, potentially dropping the ToF camera.

A bigger change will come to wired charging, with the S21 tipped to hit as much as 65W.

Read more about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21.

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has led many to believe a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE may also be on the way, perhaps in place of a Galaxy Note 20 Lite. If true, it could arrive any time in Q1 2021.

We would expect it to feature a 6.7in AMOLED display and an Exynos 8250 (Europe) or Snapdragon 865 (North America) processor, but some slightly slimmed down core memory and storage specs over the standard Note 20. It is also likely to feature a plastic case to help bring down the price further, and you should expect some camera downgrades, too.

Read more about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Fan Edition.

The Oppo Reno 5 series has already launched in China, but we’re holding out hope that the phones will come to the UK and Europe in early 2021.

Two phones have been announced so far – the Reno 5 and 5 Pro – with a 5 Pro+ model also teased by the company.

The 5 and 5 Pro are very similar, with 64Mp quad camera setups, 65W charging, and AMOLED displays – they only differ in display (the Pro is a little larger, and curved) and chipset (the 5 runs a Snapdragon 765G, the 5 Pro the less well known MediaTek Dimensity 1000+).

Get the full Reno 5 specs here.

Just like Samsung, OnePlus is also rumoured to be bringing its next flagship out a little early, moving from its customary April/May slot to a March 2021 release for the OnePlus 9.

Expect to see a lot of what we saw in the OnePlus 8T – especially 120Hz display and 65W fast charging – along with upgrades to the Snapdragon 888, a new camera sensor, and hopefully the introduction of wireless charging to the standard model.

On that note, we’re not sure whether to expect a 9 Pro or not. There was no 8T Pro, but that may just mean that OnePlus is dropping its ‘Pro’ models down to annual events.

Read more about the OnePlus 9.

Oppo used to treat its zoom-heavy Reno phones as its flagship line, but now the Find X series has begun to take more of a spotlight.

If the Find X3 series follows in its predecessors footsteps, expect to see it arrive sometime around March 2021 packing the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset, and a heavy focus on camera, display, and charging specs.

Get the latest Oppo Find X3 news.

Sony usually announces its latest Xperia flagship in February, so we’re hoping the same will be true for the Xperia 1 III.

Like its predecessor we’re expecting a focus on camera specs and display quality – hopefully with a jump up to 90Hz or 120Hz without losing that 4K resolution.

Leaks so far point to a Snapdragon 888 chip – no surprise – but beyond that we don’t know too much.

Get the latest on the Xperia 1 III.

We’ve had the Mate 40 phones, so next up from Huawei are the P50 series, expected to be announced in March 2021 if the company follows its usual release cycle.

Expect to see three phones – a P50, P50 Pro, and P50 Pro Plus – with prices going up and over a grand for the top model.

They should be powered by the Kirin 9000 processor found in the Mate 40 phones, and will likely borrow some of those phones’ camera features too. They could also be the first Huawei phones to use 120Hz panels, though most rumours so far still only point to 90Hz.

Here are the latest Huawei P50 rumours

‘Nio’ is the codename for a new Moto G phone expected to launch some time in early 2021.

The handset is expected to be the first Moto G phone to use a Snapdragon 800-series chipset – which Motorola will keep affordable by using last year’s chip, the Snapdragon 865, rather than the newer 888. 

Other leaks point to a triple rear camera, dual front cameras, and an adaptive refresh rate display, and all for a mid-range price.

Get the latest Moto Nio news.

The next Realme flagship is likely to launch in early 2021, and all we know about it is the codename, and that it will pack a Snapdragon 888 and a quad camera.

The ‘Race’ codename is intended to show that the unknown phone “will come with fast speed and high performance,” according to Realme CEO Sky Li. We don’t know if the phone will sit within one of Realme’s existing phone lines – the follow-up to last year’s X50 series seems most likely – or start a new line.

Get more Realme Race news.

The second phone in LG’s Explorer Project – following on from the flippy LG Wing – is the Rollable, expected to launch in Q1 2021.

The key conceit is a flexible rolling display, which essentially allows the phone display to extend – you simply pull on one edge and your normal-size phone becomes a tablet.

We don’t know any other specs at all yet, but keep an eye out for more.

Find out more about the LG Rollable.

The Moto G series may be the company’s budget line, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t phones to be excited about.

It’s hard to predict when the next generation of Moto G will arrive, because the normal timing is out the window, as Motorola has accelerated the progression from the G8 to G9 series in 2020, while dropping the numbering entirely in the US and some other markets.

Still, we’re expecting to see the first Moto G10 models some time in the first half of 2021, with the G10 Play or G10 Power likely to arrive first, with G10, G10 Plus, and potentially more to arrive eventually.

As always, we’ll see cheap processors, basic cameras, and big batteries, with a clean, stock-ish Android experience across the board – and 5G creeping into a few of the pricier models too.

Get the latest Moto G10 news

You read that correctly, BlackBerry is back from the dead again. In August, that US company Onward Mobility licensed the BlackBerry name and has announced that it will work to release a new BlackBerry device in the first half of 2021.

According to Onward Mobility, the new BlackBerry will have 5G network capabilities and a physical keyboard. These really are the only two indications of specs that we have aside from the phone running Android, as currently the announcement is only of the partnership’s existence and nothing more.

Read more about the upcoming BlackBerry phone.

Aside from the Nord N10 and N100 models, we’re still expecting OnePlus to unveil a true successor to its mid-range Nord phone some time in 2021, and early signs point to it being called the Nord SE.

There haven’t been any leaks about the device yet, but it’s likely it would jump from 90Hz refresh rate to 120Hz and upgrade to the 65W fast charging seen in the OnePlus 8T.

Throw in Android 11 and a new processor and that would make the Nord 2 very tempting indeed.

Read more about the OnePlus Nord 2

The Pixel ‘a’ phones are always budget-friendly takes on the flagships that arrive a little later, so we’re expecting to see a Pixel 5a turn up some time next year – mostly likely in summer 2021.

We don’t know much about what to expect from the 5a, if it does arrive, but at this point 5G support is a given. A 90Hz refresh rate is also likely, along with an upgraded processor and – wishful thinking alert – maybe even waterproofing or wireless charging.

Get the latest Pixel 5a rumours.

It’s all but a given that a second Galaxy Flip 2 is on the way – a proper sequel after the half-step upgrade of the Z Flip 5G – and we’re expecting to see it some time in the first half of 2021.

While we had hoped it would launch alongside the S21 series in January, tipsters have suggested it’s currently more likely delayed to spring or even summer, so there’s a bit longer to wait.

When it does arrive, expectations are for a larger outer display and a bigger battery, and almost certainly a jump to the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Read the latest Galaxy Z Flip 2 news & rumours

Apple’s new iPhone SE went on sale back in April, but it was always expected to arrive alongside a Plus model. If you’re thinking that might be imminent, though, don’t hold your breath; we could be waiting until the second half of 2021.

This is not simply a larger version of the iPhone SE, mind you. Prolific Apple leakster Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the iPhone SE Plus will feature either a 5.5 or 6.1in display and, crucially, it’ll sport a “full-screen design” like that of the iPhone 11 range. It may also have Touch ID built into the power button.

Read more about the upcoming iPhone SE Plus.

Asus usually announces the ROG Phone during the summer, before giving it a European launch in September, and we’d expect similar for the ROG Phone 4.

There have been very few leaks about the ROG Phone 4 so far, but it’s a safe bet that it will use the Snapdragon 888 processor, and will have a design (and accessory range) to suit its gaming audience.

Get more ROG Phone 4 news.

Samsung is widely expected to launch the next generation of its flagship foldable series in autumn 2021.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will pick up where the Fold 2 left off, but is rumoured to add in S Pen stylus support, and potentially an invisible under-display selfie camera inside the phone.

Other rumours point to a more affordable foldable launching alongside the Z Fold 3, along with speculation around new form factors that may be called the Z Fold S or Z Fold Scroll.

Find out more about the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

As soon as one iPhone is out, it’s time to look to the next, which means we’re thinking about the iPhone 13 series already.

New iPhones usually launch in September, but the iPhone 12 was a bit later in October – either way we should see the iPhone 13 series in autumn 2021.

It’s likely we’ll see a range of four phones again, from a Mini up to a Pro Max, all powered by a new A15 Bionic processor.

Word is that the notch will still be there, but smaller, and we’re hoping we’ll finally see the display itself jump up to 120Hz. Storage is rumoured to go up to 1TB too, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the return of Touch ID too.

The more out-there rumour is that Apple might go entirely port-less now that it can lean on MagSafe charging, but we think that change is more likely to roll out for the iPhone 14 or beyond…

Read the latest iPhone 13 news

Google normally releases a new Pixel flagship every autumn, so it stands to reason that the expected Pixel 6 will turn up some time in autumn 2021.

We don’t know a lot about what to expect from the phone yet, but a jump to a 120Hz refresh rate sounds plausible, and it’s also probably time for Google to upgrade its main camera sensor – unchanged for a few years now – to make sure it clings onto its photography crown.

Other leaks point to a device known as the Pixel XE, but it’s not yet clear if this is a fake, a new phone, or simply a codename for the Pixel 6.

Read more about the upcoming Pixel 6.

Xiaomi broke the rhythm of the Mi Mix series by pivoting to the wrap-around display concept device Mi Mix Alpha, but we’re still expecting a proper Mi Mix 4 to turn up some time in 2021.

We don’t know a lot about what to expect from the phone yet, but since Xiaomi usually uses the Mi Mix line to test its wilder tech out, we’re expecting either that wrap-around screen to come to the 4, or for Xiaomi to unveil its first proper foldable phone.

Read more about the upcoming Mi Mix 4.