4 Upcoming Smartphones to Expect in 2016

Goodbye September, Hello October.

With the end of the year not far away now, smartphones sales continue to grow exponentially. In research by eMarketer, 2 billion consumers worldwide are expected to have a smartphone by 2016, which will equate to a quarter of the global population.

As new and smarter mobile devices are expected to be released next year, 2 billion smartphone owners is a realistic target. With that in mind, here are some of the long-awaited smartphones to expect next year to drive the adoption rates over the 2 billion mark:

Samsung Galaxy S7
The Galaxy S7 was expected to be iPhone 6s biggest rival this year, but it seems that Samsung fans will have to wait for another 6 months before they see the Galaxy S7 in all its splendor. Experts predict that the Korean tech giant will most likely reveal their next handset by late February 2016, in time for the Mobile World Congress. Currently, it is going under the project name “Project Lucky,” but many have been referring to it as “Hero and Hero 2.” Samsung has confirmed that they will be releasing the two new smartphones under the monikers: SM-G930 (Galaxy S7) and SM-G935 (Galaxy S7 Edge).

There will be two variants: one with a 64-bit Exynos 8890 processor, and another with the Snapdragon 820 SoC. An upgraded camera, possibly a 20-megapixel rear lens should also be expected, according to SamMobile’s report. Meanwhile, China, Europe, Canada, United States, and Korea are the primary markets, which will receive said devices first.

iPhone 7
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus just recently reached the market, and demands for the two handsets are extremely strong leaving most markets “entirely sold out.” Yet, many iFans expect that Apple will reveal and release the real iPhone 7 next year. The two newest Apple flagships, based on O2’s post, boast updated features such as powerful processors, clearer cameras, and better battery power. Meanwhile, the iPhone 7 is expected to bring with it a new design and upgraded features. Some of its long-awaited upgrades will be the glass-on-glass touch panels after Apple’s recent patent acquisition regarding the see-through display. Similar to the previous trends, it is expected to be announced in September 2016 and will most likely be in two sizes (iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus).

LG G5
The market wasn’t very impressed with the LG G4 (particularly the Korean market), recording low market sales this year. GSMArena reported “LG managed to sell a little over 240,000 units in the country (South Korea) by the end of June.” But, the Korean company wants to redeem themselves with the upcoming release of the LG G5. Expecting a release sometime next year, LG will do away with the plastic and leather body and transform the G5 into an all-metal built device. It will also come with top security features, either a fingerprint scanner or an iris scanner technology and improvements to its Knock Code. Performance-wise, rumors suggest that it will come with a faster processor, boosting the loading time of the handset while retaining a longer battery life.

HTC M10
The HTC M8 and M9 weren’t able to build a strong following for the company, but experts say that if rumors are true about the Snapdragon 820 processor on the M10, then the company might regain its top spot in the mobile market. Techradar remarked is has: “Just as much style with more substance.” The company’s CEO revealed that they plan to make significant improvements in terms of innovation and design on their 2016 flagship. Apart from the upgraded processing chip, wireless charging support was also seen to be a plausible feature for the handset due to its growing popularity. The camera will also get an upgrade due to the HTC Aero that comes with an aperture of f/1.9 for a clearer and crisper low-light shots and the ability to save RAW format picture. We hope to see improvements in the battery, memory, security, and the BoomSound soon.

Are you expecting another smartphone to be unveiled next year that isn’t on this list? Feel free to leave us a comment below. Subscribe to our website to get the latest news and tips concerning the mobile market today.
 

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