Planning to buy a new premium smartphone? Let’s take a look at the information available right now about which models will be launched and what the expected features will be. Many of these will be introduced during the months of January to October. The concept of the business phone may make a comeback this year. Here are some of the super smart phone models that could be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) starting January 5, from the iPhone 15 Ultra expected in September to the Google Pixel 8 Pro expected in October:
∙ Lenovo ThinkPhone
Blackberry is the first thing that comes to the mind of technology lovers when they hear the word business phone. Blackberry phones are a stalwart smartphone breed that, fittingly for its time, provided business users with the kind of software armor to keep their secrets safe. Lenovo is trying to see if it can repeat such a success. The company, which sells a few devices under the ‘Think’ brand, including for business users, is launching a phone under the same brand name. The name is ThinkPhone.
∙ Expected Features
The ThinkPhone also joins the range of Lenovo ThinkTab Extreme, Smart Paper, MagicBay, Yoga 9i, etc. ThinkPhone is a smaller version of ThinkPad. At its heart is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, possibly the most powerful processor available for Android phones today. Expect an OLED display with full HD+ resolution. The indication is that the phone may not be slim. Boasting excellent battery life. There may be features like in-display fingerprint sensor and facial recognition.
∙ Camera system, OS
A triple camera system is expected at the back – a 50MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide and depth or macro lens, and a 16MP selfie camera. The OS may be Android 13 updated with additional security features. Whether business users will trust Google’s Android as much as BlackBerry OS remains to be seen. The presentation is only a few days away.
∙ IQ 11
Another phone that is expected this month is the IQ 11. The IQ 11 is one of the cheapest phones to be launched with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is expected to feature a 2K AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. The in-display fingerprint sensor may be visible. Also expect a 5000 mAh battery and 120w fast charging. Its significance is that it is one of the cheapest premium phones to be available in India.
∙ OnePlus 11 series
The flagship series of the OnePlus company is something that some Indians are eagerly waiting for. It is understood that the latest OnePlus 11 series will be launched in India on February 7. The processor will be Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is expected to sport a 2K AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will run on OxygenOS with some of their own tweaks to Android 13. The feature that rivals the OnePlus 11 Pro model will be jealous of is its camera system. The reason the camera is in the limelight is that Hasselblad, a maker of medium format cameras from Sweden, has partnered with OnePlus in the manufacturing of the cameras.
∙ Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a more important smartphone than the models mentioned so far. Samsung, which is also a hardware manufacturer, is expecting many innovations for the phone to be released this year, including the camera. The processor will be Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It might also be the best Android phone of the year. The Samsung S22 Ultra performs well in terms of camera tele zoom and more. The S23 Ultra is expected to surpass this.
∙ iPhone 15 Ultra
The performance expected from the iPhone 15 Ultra surpasses all the iPhones that have come out so far. We expect from this phone the same quality as no other iPhone. Unibody construction with titanium, probably the most powerful processor (perhaps customized for power than the iPhone 15 Pro).
A powerful camera system that no other iPhone can claim
One of the most talked about features of the 15 Ultra is the periscope zoom lens. This opens up the possibility of zooming in a way that no iPhone has been able to do so far. There is also talk that the main camera might use a 1-inch sensor. In this way, the Ultra model may be able to take pictures in low-light conditions and other iPhones. But all this comes at a price. The starting variant of the iPhone 15 Ultra in India is expected to be priced at Rs 1,59,990.
∙ Google Pixel 8 Pro
The fact that this year’s Google Pixel 7 models have met with expectations from technology reviewers suggests that next year’s phone could be a brilliant one. This phone will be powered by the third generation of Google’s own Tensor processor. It is expected to have up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage capacity. Pixel phones, which have always been known for their still photography, are expected to deliver a stronger performance this year. The Pixel 8 Pro may outperform the Pixel 7 Pro for low-light shots and more.
∙ AI excellence
Apart from this, the camera is also expected to have features that utilize artificial intelligence. One of the world’s most powerful AI developers, there is also a general thought that Google Phone may have an overall AI edge. Many would argue that the Google Pixel 8 Pro is the most impressive Android handset ever released.