Smartphones to look forward to in 2024

Smartphone shoppers eager to get their hands on the latest and greatest devices can look forward to a year filled with high-profile releases.

All of the smartphone industry’s big names — including Apple, Google, and Samsung — are expected to roll out new flagship devices this year.

Although annual updates of smartphones typically often feature only incremental improvements, this year might be your turn for an upgrade from a much older device.

Major investment firms Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have forecasted that the global smartphone industry will rebound after shrinking in 2023.

The big driver of sales is expected to be improved on-device AI capabilities.

Below are nine new smartphones confirmed or expected to launch in 2024.

Asus ROG Phone 8 — Launched in January

The gamer-focused Asus ROG Phone 8 is one of 2024’s early starters, launching at CES 2024 this past week.

It features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, 24GB RAM, 1TB fast storage, and a 6.78-inch OLED screen with 165Hz refresh rate.

This time around, Asus has also fitted the phone with a highly capable camera, with a 32MP 3x telephoto lens being the biggest addition.

Samsung Galaxy S24  — Confirmed for January 2024

The world’s leading smartphone manufacturer plans to unveil its next flagship S-series smartphones on 17 January 2024.

The Galaxy S24 range is expected to be heavily AI-focused and come with the typical annual upgrades such as performance improvements, battery life boosts, and better cameras.

Samsung’s conventional three-part 6.1-inch standard model, 6.6-inch Plus model, and 6.8-inch Ultra line-up is expected to remain the same.

The designs are also expected to remain largely similar to the S23, one of last year’s best-reviewed Android smartphones, with a few minor tweaks.

Huawei P70 — Expected March 2024

Much has been made about Huawei’s resurgent smartphone division, which managed to equip its 2023 flagship Mate 60 smartphones with Chinese-made 5G chips.

The company has been cut off from the latest chips due to a trade ban preventing companies in the US from selling their products and services to Huawei.

The P70 will see the return of 5G to Huawei’s P-series line-up after being noticeably absent from the P50 and P60.

The P-series is renowned for its incredible cameras, which have time and again topped DXOMark’s smartphone camera rankings with each new release.

The P60 Pro is currently ranked second, bested only by its newer Mate 60 Pro+ sibling.

However, Google Mobile Services (GMS) will still be missing, so if you are deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, this might not be your next smartphone.

Google Pixel 8a — Expected May 2024

Google’s “a” smartphones are more affordable variants of its previous years’ flagships, with slight downgrades to cut costs.

If Google sticks with its regular release schedule, the Pixel 8a will land around May.

Early renders based on leaked specifications suggest the smartphone will feature a rounded design that is taller but also thinner and narrower.

Unfortunately, Google does not officially sell its Pixel smartphones in South Africa, so local buyers must import them or use a specialist parallel importer to get one.

MyBroadband previously found some good deals on these smartphones on Amazon.com, which can make this process easier.

Samsung Galaxy A55 — Expected Q2 2024

While on the topic of mid-rangers, Samsung is slated to launch a successor to its much-praised Galaxy A54 this year.

There have been minimal details on its specifications, but, as can be expected with Samsung devices, expect many leaks in the months leading up to its release.

One detail that has floated to the surface in recent weeks is that the A55 might feature a bump on the side for the power and volume buttons, similar to the one on the Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A25.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 — Expected August 2024

Samsung has gone all-in on making foldable smartphones more mainstream, and it’s unlikely to back down in 2024.

The company has improved these devices with every new generation and is expected to do the same with its next releases.

A blog post on South Korean website Naver has claimed that the booklet-style Fold 6 will rock thinner bezels and new aspect ratios for both the inner and outer displays.

The Flip 6 is also expected to see a reduction in its internal screen’s bezel, while the external screen will continue to grow in size.

Apple iPhone 16 — Expected September 2024

Apple’s annual flagship iPhone updates are often the biggest launch events in the smartphone industry, and the iPhone 16’s arrival is unlikely to be any different.

According to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a radically improved microphone to accompany an AI-enhanced Siri will be among the big upgrades for this year’s model.

There are also reports that Apple plans to ditch the physical power and volume buttons and replace them with capacitive versions, something which was previously rumoured for the iPhone 15.

In addition, the largest iPhone 16 will be called the Ultra instead of the Pro Max and will boast an even larger 6.9-inch display.

Google Pixel 9 — Expected October 2024

Google’s next flagship smartphones will only launch towards the end of the year.

The Pixel 8 has set a high bar among tech enthusiasts, and expectations will be high for Google’s next release.

Well-known tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) gave the device his Phone of the Year Award.

As previously mentioned, Google’s smartphones are not officially available in South Africa.

The Pixel line-up is only available in 21 countries, none of which are in Africa.

Nothing Phone (3) — Unknown

The “Android iPhone” company is yet to reveal any details on its third-generation device, although it should be released this year.

Despite being a much smaller company than Google, Nothing offers its first-generation Phone (1) in South Africa — on prepaid or contract with Vodacom.

We have yet to see the second-generation smartphone officially available locally, so it is too early to speculate on the Phone (3) launching here.