If you’ve been hankering for a new device, now may be the time to start looking at smartphones to order due to supply chain issues and hefty wait times – even pre-ordering now might mean you don’t get yours until the holidays.
Few markets are as inundated with products as the smartphone pool, so here’s a list of the top seven smartphones to consider this year. Remember: Some of these images are just renderings via leaks since not all of these are on the market yet.
1. The iPhone 14, much like its predecessors, is slated for a fall release, most likely in September. Rumors surrounding this phone detail everything from a physical redesign and the expected tweaks in performance to a higher price tag, both due to more desirable features and the aforementioned supply chain price hikes.
2. Google’s Pixel 7 Pro, expected in October, has been subjected to a multitude of leaks, each of which has further contextualized the otherwise mysterious successor to the Pixel 6.
A new haptic chip, top-of-the-line camera hardware, and a brighter screen are all selling points for this smartphone; it will also theoretically be the first line to run the newest iteration of Google’s operating system, Android 13.
You can pre-order the Pixel 7 Pro from the Google Store.
3. The OnePlus 10T is expected to release sometime in late summer or early fall. While rumors circulating this phone’s release are confused and often conflicting in nature, consistent reports seem to portray a powerhouse with a top-tier chip and a choice of up to 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
4. In contrast to the prior phone, the OnePlus 10 Pro is already available, with some users claiming it is by far the best phone running the Android operating system to date. Positive reviews include a sub-$1000 price point, a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, the potential to shoot videos in 4K at 120 FPS, and a battery life of up to 12 hours.
5. If leakers are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 opens for pre-orders in early August and will begin shipping in late August. A reworked hinge design and lighter overall product, along with a 120 Hz refresh rate for both screens when unfolded, makes this smartphone a good bet for anyone with the pockets – both metaphorically, as this phone looks to be around $1600, and literally – to carry it.
Anyone holding out for the Google Pixel Fold might want to look into the Fold 4 instead, as Google’s phablet appears to have been moved up to a 2023 release.
6. In a similar vein, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 looks to be more of the same, at least in terms of design…so, if you liked the prior iterations of the Galaxy Z Flip, you’re in for some mild upgrades and a less obtrusive screen crease if you spring for the 4.
7. Finally, the Nokia 10, a smartphone that was supposed to drop in 2019, looks to be ready for a release this year. Not much is known about how the phone will have handled the transitions of the past years, but if you’re a fan of Nokia’s smartphones, this is one to check out when it releases.
Whether or not you like to deviate from your own smartphone history and brand loyalty, you’ll have quite a few strong options should you decide to buy a new one this fall.
Jack Lloyd has a BA in Creative Writing from Forest Grove's Pacific University; he spends his writing days using his degree to pursue semicolons, freelance writing and editing, oxford commas, and enough coffee to kill a bear. His infatuation with rain is matched only by his dry sense of humor.
