With the pace of smartphone 2021 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: smartphone of 2021
- Xiaomi Mi 11
- Nokia 7.3 5G
- Nokia 9.3 PureView – or Nokia 10?
- Huawei Mate X2
- Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- OnePlus 9, 9 Pro and 9E
- Samsung Galaxy Fold E
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2/3
- Apple iPhone SE 2 Plus
- Apple iPhone 13
- Xiaomi flip phone
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.
Apple iPhone SE Plus
As soon as the 2020 iPhone SE was announced, rumours started circulating about a larger model. With the iPhone SE essentially taking the iPhone 8 body, there’s those wondering if a Plus model will be launched to slot into the iPhone 8 Plus space. With the new iPhone 12 mini costing much more than the SE, will Apple fill this cheap-but-big gap?
