This will be the year of the $2,000 folding smartphone. Are you excited? Yeah, we aren't sure, either. Frankly, all we really want are quality phones that hold charges and cost less than two-month's rent. As with any year, 2019 will see the release of a wide array of new smartphones from companies like Samsung, Apple, and Google, all trying to impress the phone-using market with new and shiny devices. We'll get glossier screens and more powerful cameras. Hell, even the Motorola Razr is supposedly making a comeback (speaking of foldable smartphones that cost a couple thousand bucks). For most, it'll be a few months before the reviews come in. In the meantime, here are all the best smartphones to look out for in 2019.
First, we'll start with what phones we know for sure are being released, and then touch on what phones we think are being released—a.k.a. the buzziest rumors to come out of the industry.
SAMSUNG
Galaxy S10 Series
Samsung introduced four new Galaxy phones this month, and with them its new Dynamic AMOLED display with a "brilliant, realistic picture." The finger-scanning sensor is upgraded on the new Galaxy line, as is the camera, which now has an ultra wide lens. You can also use the Wireless PowerShare feature to charge Qi-enabled devices from the phone. Each phone is a different size as well, with the S10 and S10+ showing off massive, gorgeous screens, and with the S10e serving as the smallest, most budget-friendly option. The S10 5G will be Samsung's first 5G phone—and its biggest. Here's a breakdown of the specs.
Galaxy S10
- Size: 6.1 inches
- Camera: Rear triple camera with dual OIS; front selfie camera
- Storage: 128GB or 512GB
- Battery: Fast Charging, Wireless PowerShare
- Release Date: March 8
- Price: Starting at $899
Galaxy S10+
- Size: 6.4 inches
- Camera: Rear triple camera with dual OIS; front dual camera
- Storage: 128GB, 512GB, or 1TB
- Battery: Fast Charging, Wireless PowerShare
- Release Date: March 8
- Price: Starting at $999
Galaxy S10e
- Size: 5.8 inches
- Camera: Rear dual camera with OIS; front selfie camera
- Storage: 128GB or 256GB
- Battery: Fast Charging, Wireless PowerShare
- Release Date: March 8
- Price: Starting at $749
Galaxy S10 5G
- Size: 6.7 inches
- Camera: Rear quadruple camera with dual OIS; front selfie camera
- Storage: 256GB
- Battery: Super Fast Charging, Wireless PowerShare
- Release Date: First half of 2019, exclusively through Verizon; summer for other carriers
- Price: TBD
Galaxy Fold
Alongside the Galaxy S10s, Samsung unveiled its long-rumored Galaxy Fold, a smartphone that unfolds into a tablet-like device. It's got quite the price tag on it, and its userability is yet untested. But it's the most innovative design to come out of the smartphone sector so far.
- Size: 7.3 inches unfolded, 4.6 inches folded
- Camera: Rear triple camera; front dual camera; cover selfie camera
- Storage: 512GB
- Battery: Fast Charging
- Release Date: second quarter of 2019 through AT&T and T-Mobile
- Price: Starts at $1,980
HUAWEI
Huawei Mate X
Days after Samsung announced its new Galaxy Fold, Chinese tech company Huawei revealed its own folding smartphone, the Mate X. Compared to the Galaxy Fold, the Mate X is thinner and 5G-compatible, and its display is larger, stretching to the ends of the device. It is also more expensive.
- Size: 8 inches unfolded; 6.6 inches folded front; 6.4 inches folded rear
- Storage: 512GB
- Release Date: TBD, but maybe June
- Price: Starts at $2,600
MOTOROLA
Moto G7 Series
Motorola (owned by Lenovo) is launching four new Moto smartphones in the U.S. this year, all a lot less pricey than the industry big-hitters like Samsung and Apple. The Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus both are the same size, but the G7 Plus has a better camera. The Moto G7 Power has a powerful battery for three days of life, but less storage that the G7. The Moto G7 Play is the smallest phone, and the least expensive. All have LCD screens.
Moto G7
- Size: 6.2 inches
- Camera: Rear 12MP dual camera with high-res zoom; front 8MP camera
- Storage: 64GB
- Battery: TurboPower charging
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: Starts at $299
Moto G7 Plus
- Size: 6.2 inches
- Camera: Rear 16MP dual camera with high-res zoom; front 12MP camera
- Storage: 64GB
- Battery: TurboPower charging
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: TBD, but likely $340
Moto G7 Power
- Size: 6.2 inches
- Camera: Rear 12MP dual camera with high-res zoom; front 8MP camera
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: TurboPower charging
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: Starting at $249
Moto G7 Play
- Size: 5.7 inches
- Camera: Rear 13MP dual camera with high-res zoom; front 8MP camera
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: TurboPower charging
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: Starting at $199
LG
LG Q and K Series
LG has three new phones on the market this year, all likely to fall in the mid-range in terms of price—those details have not yet been released. Nor have the release dates. All three phones sport LG's HD+ FullVision displays, AI software, and dedicated Google Assistant buttons.
LG Q60
- Size: 6.26 inches
- Camera: Rear 16MP; front 13MP
- Storage: 64GB
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: TBD
LG K50
- Size: 6.26 inches
- Camera: Rear 13MP; front 13MP
- Storage: 32GB
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: TBD
LG K40
- Size: 5.7 inches
- Camera: Rear 16MP; front 8MP
- Storage: 32GB
- Release Date: TBD
- Price: TBD
Apple iPhone 11
Ah yes, the Big One. Apple doesn't reveal its upcoming smartphones into the fall, so the swirl of rumors and leaks is all we have to go on for 2019. Called the iPhone 11 series (for now), two phones will likely continue in the vein of the iPhone XS and XS Max, and one that will follow the cheaper iPhone XR. The screen sizes are expectedto be the same—6.5 inches, 5.8 inches, and 6.1 inches.
Huawei P30 Series
The only thing we know for sure about Huawei's 2019 smartphone releases (other than the folding Mate X) is that they'll be called the P30 series, and they'll be launched on March 26, according to the Chinese tech company. Huawei prices its phones in the upper echelon like Samsung, so don't count on any bargain options. According to leaks, the P30s might have OLED screens and super powerful cameras, but no one will know for certain until March.
Motorola Razr
It's 2008 all over again. The Wall Street Journal reported that the relaunch of Motorola's iconic Razr phone is coming this year, and that it will cost $1,500 and up, and be marketed as a smartphone with a foldable screen. Beyond that, details are scant.
Google Pixel 3 Lite
Google already has a Pixel 3 and and Pixel 3 XL, which both cost a pretty penny. But if leaks are to be trusted, the company might be following in Apple's footsteps with its iPhone XR and releasing a more budget-conscious phone, tentatively called the Pixel 3 Lite. TechRadar puts its price range between $400 and $500, with a 5.56-inch display.
Nokia 9 PureView
The big news with Nokia's rumored 9 PureView smartphone release is that it will have five cameras in the back. That's a hell of a lot of photo power. Tech insider Ishan Agarwal predicted Nokia will also launch three other models: Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.com.
* Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
