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The Most Exciting Phones Coming In 2016: Huawei P9, Nokia, Galaxy Note 6 & The iPhone 7
BlackBerry. Apple. Moto. Samsung -- a sneak peak at 2016's potentially most exciting releases
Although there are mobile device launches throughout each year, there are really two main landmarks where the bulk of the important stuff is clustered. In the first quarter it's all about Android devices in and around Mobile World Congress (MWC) which takes place around the end of February to the beginning of March; this is where the likes of Samsung, LG, HTC and Sony typically debut new flagship handsets.
The other big deal is around September, when Apple announces its new iPhone devices - historically this has also included a separate iPad launch event in October/November, but 2015 saw Apple buck that trend and pile everything into the September event. This year may also see some new habits from Apple though, as the firm is expected to host a new launch event in late March or early April for a new 4in iPhone 5se, and on top of that it may also have a new iWatch, an iPad Air 3 and/or a 9.7in iPad Pro, if various rumours are to be believed.
The only major manufacturer not being particularly active at MWC this year was HTC, though the company has now confirmed it will release its new FLAGSHIP called the HTC 10 on April 12. Motorola also usually hosts its own events later in the year, and of course Google keeps to its own summer schedule for the Nexus series. OnePlus is also working on a OnePlus 3, but that OEM has always marched to the beat of its own drum anyway.
Here's some of the big hitters to look forward to inside 2016.
Huawei P9
After testing out the Huawei Mate 8 and genuinely being blown away buy it I am now super excited about the arrival of Huawei’s next major flagship — the Huawei P9.
The handset will launch on April 6 and is expected to be one of the most powerful Android phones on the planet Much of this power will come from Huawei’s insanely powerful Kirin SoC and potentially 4GB of RAM.
There will apparently be two versions of the P9, apparently: the P9 with a 5.2in 1080p display and the P9 with a 6.2in QHD display called the P9 Max. Other specs include a MASSIVE 3900mAh battery, meaning excellent battery performance just like the Mate 8.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6
The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is apparently returning to the UK in 2016. Reports suggest Samsung, miffed by the weak sales of its EDGE+ handset, has opted to reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as its mid-year flagship release, picking up the slack once the Galaxy S7 has died down in and around Q2.
“Samsung has no plans to launch a Galaxy S7 Edge+ handset and will instead reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as the brand's chief phablet in the UK,” notes Tech Radar. “That’s according to a source high up at one of the UK's major networks who cited a ‘backlash from loyal Note fans’ as one of the chief reasons for the reverse decision.”
To date not much is known about the handset, though Samsung has been filing some odd patents of late. The handset itself will likely feature QHD or higher display, Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 CPU and Android N, depending on when it is released. A lot of UK punters will be very excited about the prospect of getting their hands on this phablet after Samsung’s 2015 performance.
Word on the street suggests Samsung is planning something pretty EPIC for its Galaxy Note 6. According to leaked information, the Galaxy Note 6 could well be the first smartphone to rock 6GB of RAM, a frankly insane amount of memory for a phone. What could all this memory be required for? It can’t JUST be for performance.
Samsung recently filed a patent for an “upcoming” Note device that would see the phablet dock with a laptop-style device. Presumably the Galaxy Note would power the dummy laptop and all of its desktop-still applications. Could this be the reason why Samsung has included 6GB of RAM, or is it just a marketing gimmick? With Samsung you just never know….
Sony’s 2016 Flagship
Is the Sony Xperia X Performance Sony’s BIG release for 2016? That seems to be the take away from MWC 2016, but I have a sneaking suspicion the company is working on something, well, a little more special for launch later on this year.
Sony has pretty much confirmed its Z brand is dead -- Z’s dead, baby (sorry) -- and that X is the future. But were Sony’s MWC offerings the company’s only phones for the rest of the year? Or will we see a new flagship dropped inside Q2/Q3 time? Personally, I believe this will be what happens. Purely because I think Sony’s plans for its X brand are bigger and more expansive than the company let on at MWC.
Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing what the company comes to the table with.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus made A LOT of friends with the OnePlus One and then set about making a few enemies with its tricky, follow-up flagship, the OnePlus 2. The main reason people we’re a little peeved with OnePlus’ 2015 effort was because it lacked NFC, as well as a QHD panel and a fingerprint scanner.
OnePlus said people didn’t use NFC on the OnePlus One so it was nixed on the follow-up device. Well, as it turns out some people clearly did because A LOT of OnePlus 2 users were very angry when they found out their shiny new handset couldn’t do NFC, so expect to see the return of near field communication in 2016.
Another area where OnePlus could up the ante with the OnePlus 3 is its display. The company has favoured 1080p panels since day one, but 2016 could see the company finally embrace QHD. Other notable features likely to make the cut are a larger battery, a fingerprint scanner, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 and some BIG improvements to imaging.
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