We are still in the first quarter of 2018 and have already seen a deluge of flagship smartphones. And the next wave of Android flagships is just around the corner as phone makers gear up to introduce their biggest annual upgrades of the year. In the coming months, we’ll be witnessing a series of launches and like clockwork, we already have most of the details, courtesy of the endless stream of leaks. Therefore, here are five forthcoming smartphone flagships and what do we know about them so far.
LG G7
Earlier last month, we learned why LG had skipped its usual flagship cycle period at the Mobile World Congress. The phone maker had scrapped off all the existing work on its next flagship and returned to the drawing board in a hope to regain its lost share. The supposedly called LG G7, over the past few weeks, has been appearing in numerous reports. The flagship is expected to feature a notch-equipped 6.1-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4 or 6GB of RAM, 64 or 128GB of onboard storage, and two 16-megapixel cameras on the rear. It’s also rumored to have an iris scanner for facial recognition and a waterproof exterior.
OnePlus 6
OnePlus’ next major upgrade, the OnePlus 6 will be possibly going official sometime in Summer like in 2017. The phone was recently revealed in an image shared by Evan Blass which suggested a slightly refreshed design, two cameras on the rear, and even a standard headphone jack. While details of its internals are quite scant right now, we reckon it will have top-of-the-line hardware featuring 8GB of RAM and Snapdragon 845 processor.
HTC U12 Plus
This year could be HTC’s last leg in the smartphone market as the company continues to bleed numbers every quarter. Its forthcoming premium phone, the U12 Plus could be its ultimate bet and if the leaks are believed to be true, the company won’t be compromising in any aspect. The U12 Plus will be reportedly loaded to the brim with features including a 6-inch LCD display with WQHD+ resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, a 12-megapixel sensor and 16-megapixel sensor on the back, IP68 certification, and more. As per an unofficial render, the phone will have a familiar all-glass design. The HTC U12 Plus is slated to launch sometime in May.
Xiaomi Black Shark
Xiaomi’s subsidiary, Black Shark, is all set to introduce a gaming-focused smartphone in the next couple of weeks. The company shared a teaser yesterday which had a very Razor-esque vibe to it. An Antutu listing last month also shed some light on the specifications. The phone will possibly come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a tall Full HD+ screen. In addition to that, there’s a good chance the phone will feature some sort of cooling mechanism for curbing the heat levels. To accommodate all these hefty internals, the phone might have a thick body and a rugged build.
Xiaomi Mi7
Another Xiaomi flagship which will be unveiled soon is their primary flagship, the Mi7. The phone’s front panel appeared an alleged image a few days ago which revealed a notch-equipped design with minimal bezels. According to a few other reports, the Mi7 will be also compatible with wireless charging and feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of onboard storage.