The smartphone industry
is pretty unique. It's popularity is unrivalled in the tech world, and
yet it refuses to confirm, or even hint, as to when the next generation
of phones are going to be released. This is a pain for the consumer.
Why? Because they often (unwittingly) purchase an up-to-date, and full
priced, phone one day and 24 hours later it's out of date by a whole
year. So what can be done?
Well, reading this article is a good place to start. That's because while smartphone manufacturers do not confirm their device's release dates, they are large creatures of habit. Which means they're predictable to the month.
Samsung, for example, loves a March launch for its Galaxy S range, while Apple is particularly fond of announcing its new iPhone on the second Tuesday of September. And while it's sad that I know this - and have no idea when my nephew's birthday is - it does mean I will never order an expensive smartphone that becomes last year's model within a month.
So take a look over the devices below, and plan when you're going to upgrade your phone accordingly.
“Bigger, better, stronger, power” are the nonsensical words that
no-one’s favourite pop singer, Justin Bieber, once sang. Why am I
sharing them with you now? Because they explain exactly what you can
expect from 2015’s crop of phones.
Stronger phones in 2015: The last couple of years has seen phones race ahead in terms of screen size. The drawback is the materials that encase the hardware have not always kept up. Think back to the iPhone 6 Plus’ Bendgate scandal, and more recent reports of the Nexus 6 having a rear cover glueing issue.
To counter this Apple was expected to launch new tougher “Sapphire glass” protection for its smartphones. However, production issues delayed its inclusion in the iPhone 6 - we’re confident Apple will have production under control for 2015’s iPhone.
Better phones in 2015: Moore’s law is far from done in the mobile world. Specifically, Android phones are certain to receive a nice boost. This is because Qualcomm has confirmed its Snapdragon 810 (and 805 to a lesser degree) processor(s) will feature in 2015’s high-end smartphones.
The octa-core 810 is made up from 4x Cortex-A57 cores for heavy-duty computing tasks, and 4x Cortex-A53 cores for less intensive jobs. While there's nothing new about that relationship, Qualcomm does insist that its chips will improve the following: voice quality, better photos and HD video, new ways to interact (voice activation, ultrasound pen, gestures), superior modem, better GPS, faster Wi-Fi speeds and better better battery life.
This G FLex 2 was announced on 5 January this year at CES and is LG’s
second attempt at producing a bendy phone. The first G Flex (6in
display) was met with an indifferent reception as there isn’t much
appetite for smartphones shaped with a fixed bend. It’s hard to see how
the Flex 2 - with it’s more compact design (5.5in display) and updated
specs - is going to be any different. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive
phone as a concept.
- Late February for UK
The rumours and leaks circulating around the S6 suggest that this
year’s flagship Samsung smartphone is going to be the company’s first
all-metal smartphone. The other major change to report is that the
device is expected to follow the Note Edge’s design and have a screen
that wraps around the, er, edge.
Samsung has launched the S3, S4 and S5 a year apart in either March or April and is showing no signs of altering this schedule.
To find about more, visit our Samsung Galaxy S6 release date and rumoured specs roundup.
- March/April
The HTC One series’ good looks and Sense UI has so far helped HTC
smartphone’s stand out from the high-end Android crowd. Early reports
suggest that HTC is not willing to break away from this successful
formula, with leaked images of the M9 pointing towards a design that’s
very similar to the M8.
The real difference, as always, can be found in the specs column. The HTC is set to make use of the new Snapdragon 810 processor mentioned above, and pair it with 3GB of RAM. The relationship between the new chip and 3GB RAM, means the good looking smartphone will be powerful to boot.
Rumours are suggesting the phone will launch in early March, probably at MWC. It’s thought the M9 will be available for pre-order soon after it’s unveiled with units likely to be shipped towards the end of the month.
- March 2015
Sony is the only major manufacturer to operate on a two phones per
year update cycle, suggesting that MWC (March) will see the launch of
the Z4.
As Sony’s update schedule has been very regular - adopting an ‘improve when ready’ strategy - the jump from Z3 to Z4 won’t be that noticeable. Rumours are suggesting the screen will remain at 5.2in, but it should get a pixel boost to 1440 x 2560 (QHD) resolution.
LG G4
Could the LG G4 be the world’s first phone with a screen that stretches over three sides? The pictures from iNews24 taken at CES 2015, suggest that it could be. What’s also unclear is exactly when we’ll see the G4. LG has been the least consistent of all phone makers in terms of regular release dates.
The G2 was released in September 2013, while the G3 was unveiled in May. We’d suggest LG is likely to stick to a May release for its G4, as it fills the gap between March’s S5 event, other MWC phone launches and the September iPhone release.
It’s thought the G4 will also pair the new 810 chip with 3GB RAM, keeping pace with the rest of the flagship market. A rear-facing 16-megapixel camera is also expected to be included.
- May/June 2015
The Note invariably launches at the Berlin trade show IFA - which
takes place in September. Galaxy Note smartphones are Samsung’s flagship
‘phablets’, and come with powerful specifications. The new Snapdragon
805 processor is likely to drive the large smartphone too.
- September 2015
Apple has release a new version of the smartphone every year since
2007. It’s now on its 9th generation of smartphone and there’s no reason
to expect anything different from Apple in 2015. Unless something
happens in the supply chain, a September launch is a safe bet.
Take a look at our iPhone 6/7 release date and specs page to find more.
- September 2015
Since
Microsoft bought Nokia, the goalposts have changed with the Lumia brand
somewhat. Previous release date cycles can be ignored as we expect
Microsoft bring the Lumia smartphone brand in line with its Windows 10
release.
What does this mean for the 940? It’s not exactly clear. However, with Microsoft pushing Windows 10 as an OS for all platforms, it’s very likely the Lumia 940 will launch as the flagship smartphone for the new OS. If this happens, you can expect to see it around the same time as Windows 10 launches.
- October 2015
Well, reading this article is a good place to start. That's because while smartphone manufacturers do not confirm their device's release dates, they are large creatures of habit. Which means they're predictable to the month.
Samsung, for example, loves a March launch for its Galaxy S range, while Apple is particularly fond of announcing its new iPhone on the second Tuesday of September. And while it's sad that I know this - and have no idea when my nephew's birthday is - it does mean I will never order an expensive smartphone that becomes last year's model within a month.
So take a look over the devices below, and plan when you're going to upgrade your phone accordingly.
What to expect from phones in 2015
Stronger phones in 2015: The last couple of years has seen phones race ahead in terms of screen size. The drawback is the materials that encase the hardware have not always kept up. Think back to the iPhone 6 Plus’ Bendgate scandal, and more recent reports of the Nexus 6 having a rear cover glueing issue.
To counter this Apple was expected to launch new tougher “Sapphire glass” protection for its smartphones. However, production issues delayed its inclusion in the iPhone 6 - we’re confident Apple will have production under control for 2015’s iPhone.
Better phones in 2015: Moore’s law is far from done in the mobile world. Specifically, Android phones are certain to receive a nice boost. This is because Qualcomm has confirmed its Snapdragon 810 (and 805 to a lesser degree) processor(s) will feature in 2015’s high-end smartphones.
The octa-core 810 is made up from 4x Cortex-A57 cores for heavy-duty computing tasks, and 4x Cortex-A53 cores for less intensive jobs. While there's nothing new about that relationship, Qualcomm does insist that its chips will improve the following: voice quality, better photos and HD video, new ways to interact (voice activation, ultrasound pen, gestures), superior modem, better GPS, faster Wi-Fi speeds and better better battery life.
New smartphones 2015
LG G Flex 2
- Late February for UK
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung has launched the S3, S4 and S5 a year apart in either March or April and is showing no signs of altering this schedule.
To find about more, visit our Samsung Galaxy S6 release date and rumoured specs roundup.
- March/April
HTC One M9
The real difference, as always, can be found in the specs column. The HTC is set to make use of the new Snapdragon 810 processor mentioned above, and pair it with 3GB of RAM. The relationship between the new chip and 3GB RAM, means the good looking smartphone will be powerful to boot.
Rumours are suggesting the phone will launch in early March, probably at MWC. It’s thought the M9 will be available for pre-order soon after it’s unveiled with units likely to be shipped towards the end of the month.
- March 2015
Upcoming smartphones 2015
Sony Xperia Z4
As Sony’s update schedule has been very regular - adopting an ‘improve when ready’ strategy - the jump from Z3 to Z4 won’t be that noticeable. Rumours are suggesting the screen will remain at 5.2in, but it should get a pixel boost to 1440 x 2560 (QHD) resolution.
- September 2015
LG G4
Could the LG G4 be the world’s first phone with a screen that stretches over three sides? The pictures from iNews24 taken at CES 2015, suggest that it could be. What’s also unclear is exactly when we’ll see the G4. LG has been the least consistent of all phone makers in terms of regular release dates.
The G2 was released in September 2013, while the G3 was unveiled in May. We’d suggest LG is likely to stick to a May release for its G4, as it fills the gap between March’s S5 event, other MWC phone launches and the September iPhone release.
It’s thought the G4 will also pair the new 810 chip with 3GB RAM, keeping pace with the rest of the flagship market. A rear-facing 16-megapixel camera is also expected to be included.
- May/June 2015
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
- September 2015
iPhone 6s/7
Take a look at our iPhone 6/7 release date and specs page to find more.
- September 2015
Microsoft Lumia 940
What does this mean for the 940? It’s not exactly clear. However, with Microsoft pushing Windows 10 as an OS for all platforms, it’s very likely the Lumia 940 will launch as the flagship smartphone for the new OS. If this happens, you can expect to see it around the same time as Windows 10 launches.
- October 2015
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