We’re already in the second half of the year and about to enter smartphone season with major product launches coming from Apple and Samsung and Google – and the rumours are already well and truly flying.
These latest smartphones will be launched between August and early October.
Here’s what we can expect.
iPHONE 13
Apple will likely return to a September launch for the iPhone 13 after last year’s iPhone 12 launch was delayed by a month because of the impact of the COVID pandemic.
Naturally rumours have been circulating for a while about the next iPhone which is expected to maintain its current design with tweaks to the notch and the camera bump on the rear panel.
Apple will reportedly have a smaller and shallower notch at the top of its display to offer more viewing space for your apps, content and websites.
Speaking of the display, it’s also possible the screens in the Pro models will have a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother viewing and scrolling. It is already onboard the iPad Pro – it’s called Pro Motion.
But this feature could have an impact on battery life which leads to the other possibility of increased battery capacity on the iPhone 13 to handle it.
The new iPhone will also have an improved camera system with a larger sensor and improved autofocus and stabilisation.
The actual camera bump will also be slightly larger than the iPhone 12.
Case manufacturers have created mock ups of the iPhone 13 based on the latest rumours to ensure their cases fit Apple’s new device.
Reports suggest that the larger camera bump means a case for the iPhone 12 will not fit on the iPhone 13.
As with the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 will have two Pro models, a regular iPhone 13 and an iPhone 13 mini.
The Pro models will still have three lens camera systems while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will each still have two lenses
Of course, all of the iPhone 13 models will be 5G compatible.
There were some suggestions the iPhone 13 Pro models will adopt USB-C charging ports like the iPad Pro range but Apple is likely to stick with its current Lightning port.
there has also been some speculation about the name of the new iPhone and whether Apple will put aside superstition and still call it iPhone 13.
Because there is no major design change Apple could very well decide to call it iPhone 12S.
The iPhone 13 launch event is likely to be in mid-September with the phone going on sale in late September.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 3
Samsung’s third generation folding smartphone – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 – could be announced as early as next month with significant changes to its design and features.
According to the most recent rumours the front screen and larger foldable screen will shrink by a millimetre or two.
This is possibly to accommodate the addition of the S Pen – which is usually seen with the Samsung’s Galaxy Note range of products – so you can write and draw on the screen.
But one thing about the Galaxy Z Fold smartphones is the delicacy of the foldable display so having the ability to write on that screen with an S Pen would mean the screen has had considerable improvement in its durability.
These reports also adds to the speculation that Samsung may not continue with its popular Galaxy Note line-up of smartphones – a rumour that has been around for some time.
The other persistent rumour is that Samsung may even produce a lite version of the Galaxy Z Fold which is more affordable than the premium model which was priced at $2999 last year.
The Galaxy Z Fold Lite would have a 4-inch external screen and a 7 inch internal foldable display and would likely be priced well under $2000.
We are also likely to see a new Galaxy Z Flip which will basically keep the same fold in half design but incorporate a larger front screen.
Samsung is likely to unveil these devices in late August.
GOOGLE PIXEL 6
Android fans are getting excited about the release of the Google Pixel 6 which is expected in late September or early October.
Google’s new smartphone is usually the first device to feature Android’s brand new operating system. In this case it will be Android 12 that will be pre-installed.
There is likely to be two models – the Google Pixel 6 (6.4-inch) and the Google Pixel 6 Pro (6.7-inch).
According to reports, Google Pixel 6 will look a lot different to the earlier models with a squarer shape, a hole punch display for the selfie camera and multiple cameras on the rear panel.
The displays on both new Pixel 6 models are also likely to have 120Hz refresh rates.
On the camera side, the Google Pixel 6 will have a dual rear camera system arranged horizontally which will include a 50-megapixel wide angle lens and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a front 8-megapixel camera.
The Google Pixel 6 Pro will have a triple lens system made up of a 50-megapixel wide, 48 megapixel telephoto and 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens as well as a 12-megapixel front facing camera.
