The next eighteen months will bring a raft of significant smartphones, so here ValueWalk looks at some of the most significant.
iPhone 7
This important device is something of an odd one out in the iPhone series, as it is looking increasingly possible that the iPhone 7 will actually being released in 2016. This is something of a surprise as the general assumption for some time had been that the iPhone 7 would be the successor to the iPhone 6. But this presumed schedule is dependent on whether recent reports about an iPhone 6s release in 2015 turn out to be correct.
We can thus expect the iPhone 7 to be a revolutionary device. It could be the smartphone that sees Apple introduce a curved screen model of its flagship handset. The iPhone 7 could also be earmarked for a 4K resolution screen, and may also see Apple update the display from LCD to OLED. However, some recent reports have poured cold water on this possibility.
Apple is also likely to save several new features for this important handset. Thus, sapphire glass could appear in the iPhone series for the first time after being strongly linked with the iPhone 6, and Force Touch and wireless charging are likely to be included. There are also strong rumors that Apple will greatly upgrade the camera in the iPhone 7, and deliver either a professional quality dual-lens device, or even a unique periscope snapper.
iPhone 6s
Analysts now believe that the iPhone 6s will be released early in Q4 of 2015. The most likely explanation for this change of tack by Apple is that the iPhone 6 has been a hugely successful device commercially for the corporation, and with the Apple Watch launching this year Apple does not wish to release two completely new devices in the same year.
So expect the iPhone 6s to be an update of the existing iPhone 6. We will probably see a quad HDiPhone 6s phablet, and probably a full HD iPhone 6s. Force Touch has been tipped for this device as well, as Apple attempts to make it an Apple Watch companion.
Apple will be in something of a quandary with this device, as on the one hand it needs to be a significant update on the iPhone 6, but on the other it may wish to hold some features back for the 2016 release of the iPhone 7. So the iPhone 6s may be focused on spec upgrades to processors, cameras and battery life. The last of these features may be a particular emphasis, as Apple’s mobile range is often criticized for is relatively poor battery life.
Galaxy Note 5
The Galaxy Note 4 was a highlight of a disappointing 2014 for Samsung, and the next cab off the Galaxy Note rank will be extremely important for the corporation.
The Galaxy Note 5 could be a particularly noteworthy mobile release, as it is set to be the first mass market 4K resolution mobile device. Samsung is also expected to extend its recent penchant for curved screen mobile devices by releasing a Galaxy Note 5 model featuring a dual-curve.
Galaxy S7
Samsung is due to release the Galaxy S6 in April, and will update the concept 12 months later. It may seem premature to be discussing the Galaxy S7, considering that the Galaxy S6 has yet to hit the stores. But we already know a fair bit about this forthcoming smartphone release, and it is particularly notable that Samsung is preparing to produce vast numbers of the Galaxy S7 Edge. This is based on reports emanating from Korea that Samsung expect to sell bucketloads of the curved version of the Galaxy S7.
Other likely features included in the Galaxy S7 are a 4K resolution display, 20-megapixel camera, and a mooted 6 GB of RAM memory.
LG G4
Some publications considered last year’s LG G3 to be the best smartphone release of the year, and considering that there was a brand-new iPhone during the calendar year, this is no mean achievement. The LG G4 will therefore have a lot to live up to, and there are already murmurings regarding what features will be included in the device.
LG will release the G4 in April, and one of the most notable features of the smartphone is that it will feature a new, unique chipset. Instead of the octa-core chipset favoured by Samsung and HTC, the LG is reportedly powered by a hexa-core chip, believed to be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808.
At the time of writing, the consensus of opinion is that the G4 will not be the first mass-market 4K resolution smartphone, and that the 2,560 x 1,440 resolution featured in the LG G3 will be present again.
Other reported features of this forthcoming smartphone include a boost to the main camera to 16-megapixels, and an impressive front-facing snapper talking in at 8-megapixels, and a tweaked physical design featuring a voguish curved back.
HTC One M9+
HTC has produced some acclaimed mobile devices, but unfortunately for the corporation it has yet to really achieve a mainstream position in the marketplace. Perhaps the HTC One M9+ can change this, and HTC will certainly be hoping that this is the case. It is worth pointing out that this handset has not been officially confirmed yet, but its release is basically inevitable as HTC looks to gain some market traction.
The HTC One M9+ well probably feature a 5.2-inch quad HD display, while the addition of a fingerprint-scanning home button has been the subject of much rumor and speculation in recent weeks.
Early renderings have also suggested that HTC will radically alter the physical design of the device to appeal to a marketplace which is enamored with Apple devices. The new two-tone design has already received a decent reception from mobile market observers, and HTC will be hoping for a similarly strong reaction when this smartphone hits the stores.
