Most anticipated smartphones in 2021 that are worth the wait

The pandemic has put a hold on a lot of things but not on technology. Pushing for bigger and better, the telecommunications giants are unveiling foldables, flagships and a host of new highly anticipated releases to look out for, from the highly anticipated iPhone 13 and Samsung Galaxy 22 to the competitively placed Huawei P50 Pro Plus 5g and Xiaomi Mi 6, these are the latest in smartphone models to look out for.

iPhone 13
Leading the series of most anticipated smartphones to be released this latter half of the year is the iPhone 13. Following a year-long of myriad of leeks and rumors, there are a few things that can be firmly expected from the latest series of Apple phone.

At first glance, although its 6.1-inch screen size remain unchanged, there are a few noticeable design aspects that will catch the eye, particularly its ever so slightly thicker structure to accommodate bigger and better perks, such as a 3095mAh battery as well as a 120Hz refresh rate with its Super Retina XDR OLED display for longer-lasting and buttery-smooth entertainment. Even more tempting is its 30% upgrade on its wide and ultra-wide 12MP camera for sharper image captures.

Estimated Price: HK$$6,300
Estimated Release Date: September 2021

Google Pixel 6
Getting ahead of the rumors, Google had officially revealed the Google Pixel 6, a supposed seriously high-spec android model that boasts a fresh makeover and UI overhaul from its earlier models.

Firstly, its much larger 6.4-inch AMOLED FHD+ flat display with 120Hz refresh rate and trio-cameras are already a standout. The Pixel 6 is the first Pixel model to be equipped with 3 cameras – a 8MP punch hole camera, 50MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide.

Also a first in the range is its ultra wideband chip for higher bandwidth communication, while its hardware boasts 8GB ram, 128GB in-built storage and a powerful 4,614mAh fast wireless charging battery.

Estimated Price: HK$6,214
Estimated Release Date: October 2021

Samsung Galaxy S22
Not long after Samsung’s successful launch of its new Fold series, the multinational South Korean company has announced its new premium design in the Galaxy range, Galaxy S22.

Billed as the world’s first 200MP smartphone, it delivers on a epic new technology in smartphone cameras that highlights its HP1 Sensor that is adaptable to different lighting environments that produces high resolution images, even in low light conditions.

Featuring a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera and 10MP telephoto camera with 3-times continuous optical zoom. Its battery (3,800mAh) however, although is packed with less power than its predecessors, it does deliver on a significant improvement in charging speed at 65W, while its display screen remains impressively crisp with its Super AMLOED display.

Estimated Price: HK$7,850
Estimated Release Date: November / December 2021

OnePlus 9T
Unveiled in an attractive streamline design in a dust- and water-resistant gloss glass case is the OnePlus 9T, albeit not a dramatic upgrade from its pervious OnePlus 9 model, it does highlight a few modest new features in the 9T iteration, that may or may not matter to users of OnePlus 9.

While its size, screen, storage, ram, battery and chipset remain identical, OnePlus has added an additional a 108MP main camera with digital zoom and 2MP mono lens on top of its 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro lens, compared to just 3 cameras in the previous model.

Estimated Price: HK$4,760
Estimated Release Date: September 2021

Huawei P50 Pro Plus 5G
Billed to have the best camera specifications on this list, Huawei’s soon-to-be-released P50 Pro Plus model pushes the boundaries of phone-photography with a dual-matrix camera design.

But before, moving to the crux of the model, it’s worth noting that several aspects of the new iteration impressively serves up hardware that makes the model A worthy competitor to Samsung but at a lower price point. Like, 5G connectivity and a 6.7-inch True-Chroma display with 120Hz refresh rate, supported by 8GB ram and 256GB in-built storage that are all powered by 5,000mAh battery pack and sealed within a IP68 splash, water, and dust resistance case.

Its camera specs, on the other hand, features a dual camera with 50MP wide angle main camera, 16MP periscope telephoto camera and 12-times optical zoom and an impressive 32MP front camera.

Estimated Price: HK$11,060
Estimated Release Date: September 2021

Xiaomi Mi 6
Without any official release news other than the estimated release month in December, rumors and leaks are all we are going on for now. With that said, it can be expected that the specifications of the latest Xiaomi to hit the shelves by the end of the year is Mi 6.

Packing a powerful 4,500mAh battery optimised for full entertainment enjoyment. Said to be equipped with 6GB ram and 128GB built-in storage and a likely powerful Octa-core processor for smooth performance and switching between apps throughout the day, the 6-inch tall device will also feature a 1080 x 1920-piexel display screen for a decent experience of different gaming and entertainment apps.

As for the cameras, the smartphone is rumored to be fitted with a 12MP single camera with 12-times digital zoom on the back and an 8MP selfie camera.

Estimated Price: HK$3,153
Estimated Release Date: December 2021

HiPriced

With the ubiquity of smartphone technology and Apple’s extensive market share, iPhones are far from a rare sight. Those looking to stand out from the ever-growing horde of iPhone devotees, need look no further than the bespoke handsets now on offer from Falcon, a New York-based luxury brand.

The company’s customised iPhones are the last word in super luxurious, having been upgraded using platinum, 24-carat gold or rose gold and then adorned with a variety of precious gems. The price of these bespoke phones reflect their exclusive nature with the base model starting at US$1.65 million, with costs then going all the way up to the Super Nova edition, complete with pink diamond, that comes in at US$48.5 million. The iPhone collection includes 24 choices, combining three same-cost case choices ― platinum, 24-carat gold and rose gold ― and eight embedded gems ― black diamond for US$1.78 million; emerald cut diamond for US$2.43 million; blue sapphire, emerald or ruby for US$5.13 million; blue diamond for US$35.1 million; orange diamond for $45.9 million and pink diamond for US$52.4 million.

Each phone comes with 128GB of memory as standard and includes a USB cable, power adaptor and standard Apple headphones. Of course, the standard white plastic Apple headphones don’t quite cut it when your phone is fully decked out in precious metals and gems, so Falcon also offer solid platinum, 24-carat gold or rose gold sets as optional extras for a mere US$300,000 a go.

Apple looks to the future with iPhone 7

The launch of the iPhone 7 comes at the perfect time for Apple to capitalise on the controversy surrounding its rival, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Apple recently unveiled the iPhone 7, and the company’s latest generation of smartphone boasts a number of improvements on the iPhone 6.

The upgraded iPhone looks similar to its predecessor and is the same size but it has a better camera, faster processor and improved battery life. One controversial new feature, however, of the iPhone 7 is the lack of a headphone jack.

Apple said they removed the headphone jack to free up space in the smartphone for extra technology and to move towards a wireless future.

The phones will come with headphones, but they will have to fit into the Lightning port, which is used for charging.

A smartphone’s camera tends to be a key selling point for a lot of people, and the iPhone 7 is an improvement on the iPhone 6.

The latest phone has a wider F1.8 aperture, image stabilization and a bigger image sensor.

The more expensive and bigger iPhone 7 Plus comes with a dual camera system. It has the same 12MP wide-angle lens as the standard iPhone 7, along with a second 12MP telephoto lens next to it. The two lenses allow for twice the optical zoom and better digital zoom.

The release of the iPhone 7 comes just as Apple’s biggest rival, Samsung, has urged owners of its Galaxy Note 7 to stop using and exchange their phones after some devices exploded during or after charging.

The iPhone 7 is set to launch in Hong Kong from September 16.