From ever-shrinking bezels to the best OLED displays we’ve ever seen to dual rear cameras trickling down to budget devices, smartphones have changed dramatically in 2017. And with 2018 now in full swing, a new generation of groundbreaking handsets is starting to emerge.
Apple figures to continue its design dominance with potentially not one, but multiple successors to the iPhone X
. In addition to unveiling a new flagship phone, Samsung has hinted 2018 will give us the first truly foldable smartphone. Even Huawei, a company not particularly well known in the States, appears ready to stake its claim on our shores. Here’s a look at what’s coming up and what we know about 2018’s hottest smartphones.
. In addition to unveiling a new flagship phone, Samsung has hinted 2018 will give us the first truly foldable smartphone. Even Huawei, a company not particularly well known in the States, appears ready to stake its claim on our shores. Here’s a look at what’s coming up and what we know about 2018’s hottest smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S9 (March 2018)
It may look a lot like last year's Galaxy S8, thanks to that Infinity Display, but looks can be deceiving. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ feature a number of substantive changes, including a new Snapdragon 845 mobile processor inside and stereo speakers that figure to deliver improved sound. But the biggest changes are with the phones' cameras: the S9+ adds a second lens while both phones now feature a rear camera with a variable aperture. That means in low light settings, the S9's camera can adjust to let in more light for sharper pictures. A Super Slo-Mo video mode also automatically detects action and starts filming it at 960 frames per second at 720p resolution. The Galaxy S9 is available for preorder on March 2, with the $720 phone going on sale March 16.
Samsung Galaxy X (2018)
We've been hearing rumblings for years that a foldable smartphone from Samsung was just around the corner. That corner wasn't in 2017, but the new year looks like we'll see Samsung finally take the wraps off this long-anticipated device.
The most popular rumor has Samsung producing a compact phone — possibly called the Galaxy X — which would fold out into a larger tablet. The phone could feature a hinge in the middle that will let you fold the smartphone open to interact with two OLED panels. (The already shipping Axon M from ZTE works like this.) This past September, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh officially recognized the project, hinting that the Galaxy X will likely come out in 2018 and that it will fall under the Note brand.
Since then, a prematurely published support page on the Samsung’s own website, in addition to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, have only added fuel to the fire for one of 2018’s most hotly-anticipated and potentially game-changing handsets.
