Each year, phone manufacturer brings out the latest edition to their range. They expand upon their technology to usually release an improved version of what came out just 12 months before.
This is how it has been for years, so with 2024 fast approaching, we’re looking at the upcoming phones in early 2024, specifically the brands that typically come out with something in the first six months of the year.
Samsung Galaxy S24
A concept design of the Samsung S24 made by Technizo Concept.
Samsung has the distinct reputation of being the leading Android manufacturer, so the importance of starting the year with a new flagship model from their Galaxy range is high for them. That’s why they usually bring out the next iteration of their Galaxy S range in the first two months of the year.
The Galaxy S23 was announced on 1st February 2023, and the S22 was announced on 9th February 2022, so it isn’t unsurprising that many reports from credible sources claim we can expect an announcement for the S24 on 17th January.
This is a bit earlier than the previous two announcements but still not uncommon for Samsung.
The announcement for the phone will come during their Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, which they hold twice a year, once at the start to typically announce the new Galaxy S range, and once towards the middle of the year for the Galaxy Z range and other products.
Nothing has been said or confirmed yet from Samsung regarding when we can expect the event, but again, those reports are claiming a mid-January date so we may get the official date sometime soon.
As for when the actual release date of the phone could be, usually, it comes around two weeks after the unpacked event. For the S23, it was 16 days after the announcement. One leak has said that it will ship and be available to purchase in stores on 30th January, but while it is a credible source again, nothing is confirmed so take it with a pinch of salt.
As for details on the phone itself, not much is known yet - something which Samsung will be happy with. But some reports claim things such as no price increase, with the S24 range costing the same as its predecessor, as well as a new emergency satellite texting feature.
Whether this feature will be available in all markets right away is yet to be seen as the report came from a Korean outlet, which is where Samsung is based
Other rumours suggest big upgrades for the cameras and camera features, plus a vastly improved display that continues the focus on the brightness of the pixels to produce the most stunning display possible.
Google Pixel 8a & Fold 2
A leaked image of the Google Pixel 8a.
Coming a bit later in the year, fellow Android heavyweight Google are expected to follow suit with their next phone announcements.
The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are the latest in their Pixel range, and typically what Google does is release a lite version of these phones, labelled the Pixel Xa (replace the X with the correct number), a few months later.
Reports before the Pixel 7a’s release earlier in 2023 suggested that it may be the last in the Pixel a series; however, newer reports state that they will be continuing at least with the 8a.
The Pixel a series is Google’s more budget-friendly version of their latest flagship phone, coming with only some minor downgrades on the regular counterpart but at a less costly price point.
Google has neither confirmed nor denied whether that will be the case, so for now you can assume that the Google Pixel 8a will be coming later this year, most likely around large spring or summer 2024.
The Google I/O conference is their first major conference of the year, with 2023 seeing the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold announced. We should expect to see the online event return in 2024, although no date has been given yet for it.
It is typically held in May each year, with the 2023 edition happening on 10th May, so we predict it will come around this time again in 2024.
When it does happen, it won’t just be the Pixel 8a announced, but also most likely the second iteration of the Pixel Fold.
Google joined in on the current foldable phone trend, and while they were late to the game, it has generally been accepted by many that they came in with possibly the most impressive fold phone to date.
The Pixel Fold came with amazing tech and a revolutionary design that Samsung, who have been producing their own foldable phone since 2019, have not been able to achieve even with the latest Z Fold 5.
Building upon that and taking the leap that they made with the Pixel 8 Pro, the Google Pixel Fold 2 is expected to up the game once again.
Once again though, all of this is purely speculation and will not b confirmed until closer to the time, which typically is when more credible leaks and rumours start to spread about what will be announced.
OnePlus 12
The back of the new OnePlus 12.
OnePlus aren’t the most widely-known brand on the market but that doesn’t stop them from producing a fairly impressive phone range.
The latest in said range is the OnePlus 12, which has technically already been released - in China, where the manufacturer is based.
The OnePlus 12 retains the familiar round rear camera setup but features some major upgrades in performance and core specs.
It boasts the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is likely to also be coming in the Samsung Galaxy S24 later in 2024.
Wireless chagrin has returned after being left out on the OnePlus 11, which is a big deal considering the 12 brings a significantly upgraded battery compared the the 11 and the OnePlus Open, their first-edition fold phone.
The 6.82-inch AMOLED LTPO display is incredibly impressive, with 3168 x 1440 QHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and 402ppi (pixel density).
As for the toilet bowl-shaped camera, OnePlus has shown off some images taken from the phone and the specs are grand, although it is hard to say how good it is compared to the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra while it is still yet to appear in markets outside of China.
Overall, the OnePlus 12 is a brilliant upgrade to its predecessor and could very well rival the best that Apple and the likes have to offer when it is brought worldwide.
With that being said, the OnePlus was unveiled in China on 5th December but has been promised to get its global launch on 23rd January 2024.
As ever with the manufacturer, there will be just the one model of the OnePlus 12, but it will come in different RAM and storage capacities, with more of both costing more.
The exact prices are not yet confirmed, although we can and have taken the conversion rates for how much they cost in Chinese Yuan to GBP*.
- 12GB RAM, 256GB storage: CNY¥4,299 = £480
- 16GB RAM, 512GB storage: CNY¥4,799 = £535
- 16GB RAM, 1TB storage: CNY¥5,299 = £590
- 24GB RAM, 1TB storage: CNY¥5,799 = £645
*Exchange rate correct as of 14/12/2023.
Xiaomi 14 series
A look at the design of the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro.
Xiaomi, like OnePlus, are a Chinese manufacturer who have already released their latest model in their market only.
The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro was launched back in October, being the first devices to feature the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
When it was announced, Xiaomi heralded the phone as a big step forward in design innovation. It features an industry-leading ultra-thin bezel design with incredibly advanced FIAA technology, producing an exceptionally slim phone with a focus on an immersive visual experience.
The display is currently the best on the market, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits that is achieved by utilising C8 light-emitting material. It ensures a clear display even in direct sunlight and has a screen pixel density of 460ppi.
All this creates an absolutely incredible phone that Samsung, Google, Apple and others will find hard to beat.
However, there is one drawback to everything, and that’s with the Xiaomi 14 Pro. While it is even more impressive, it is likely to never breach the Chinese market, unfortunately.
This is due to the team no longer developing the HyperOS global ROM for the 14 Pro. The base variant will be available eventually, though.
A big reason behind this that has been reported is that Xiaomi want the 14 Ultra variation, which is expected to come later in the year, to be a bigger step up from the base version than a slightly bigger step up from the Pro version.
With that being said, the release date for the Xiaomi 14 in international markets is not yet known, although the trends from the previous two models saw them released in China in December that year then in March the following year globally. With the Xiaomi 14 set to be released in China sometime in December, we reckon the trend will follow the same pattern.
Once again, we have worked out the exchange rates so you can have a rough idea of how much the Xiaomi 14 could cost here in the UK*:
- 8GB RAM, 256GB storage: CNY¥3999 = £450
- 12GB RAM, 256GB storage: CNY¥4299 = £480
- 6GB RAM, 512GB storage: CNY¥4599 = £520
- 16GB RAM, 1TB storage: CNY¥4999 = £560
*Exchange rate correct as of 14/12/2023.
