The Top New Upcoming Smartphones for 2023

The Top New Upcoming Smartphones for 2023

 Apple iPhone 15

Any Apple launch deserves top billing on a list of best upcoming phones, although there aren’t many solid rumours surrounding the iPhone 15. It’s due to launch in September 2023 (as Apple’s launches and release dates are, mercifully, very consistent). We’d love to see the fancy Dynamic Island notch make its way down to the base iPhone 15 models. We’d also love to see 8K video recording (because why not), along with a periscope zoom camera to better match the lossless 10x optical zoom offered by the formidable Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Google Pixel Fold

What about the elusive Pixel Fold? It’ll at the top of any Google fan’s list of best upcoming phones. Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear a whole range of rumours on what to expect. Some thought the Pixel 6 would be bendable. Others predicted a separate Pixel Fold device would launch by the end of 2021. Clearly neither of those came true, and 2022 was a drought for folding Google phones too. Does that mean we won’t see a folding Pixel phone in 2023? Not necessarily.

What will the spec sheet of Google’s foldable have in store? That’s even less certain. Although if it follows the mould set by the Pixel 6 and carried on by the Pixel 7 Pro, you can expect a neat, premium design with a vanilla Android interface that’s optimised for a folding setup.

Nothing Phone 2

Transparent tech specialist Nothing made a splash with its first smartphone last year, courtesy of some eye-catching glyph lighting and capable mid-range hardware at a very attractive price. It largely focused on Europe and India, however, instead of the ultra-tough US market. That looks set to change for the Phone 2, which has been confirmed to be in the works.

Nothing founder Carl Pei also took to the stage at Mobile World Congress to confirm the new handset would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 CPU – although he didn’t say if it would be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 currently doing the rounds, or a new generation version yet to be announced. The former seems more likely, given the firm is targeting a 2023 release.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Given that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the best folding phone Samsung has ever made, it would be a shame for them to end it there. And they more than likely won’t. That’s why the Z Fold 5 is high on our list of best upcoming phones that fold.

There are very few rumours around at the moment. But we’d like to see an even slimmer design, faster charging, and a built-in S-Pen to take advantage of drawing and doodling on its expansive unfolded display. Don’t fancy waiting until July or August for an all-new Samsung foldable? The current version is still a tasty device

Sony Xperia 1 V

Sony’s phone division has been fairly quiet so far in 2023, but the rumour mill suggests a fifth-gen flagship isn’t too far away. Leaked renders suggest the Xperia 1 V’s styling will largely match last year’s Xperia 1 IV, with most of the changes being made under the hood. That phone had a rather toasty CPU that hampered performance and its ability to record 4K video, so expect a more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU this time around.

Photography will almost certainly be the focus, but it’s unknown right now whether Sony will use the 1-inch sensor it co-developed with Xiaomi, or stick to a smaller sized unit. The only hardware sneak peek doing the rounds right now suggests the time-of-flight and RGB IR sensors are gone, leaving a trio of lenses. Expect a capable telephoto and ultrawide pairing, plus a very in-depth camera app that’ll please professionals. With no launch date confirmed, though, you might be better snapping up an Xperia 1 IV instead