Best upcoming phones for 2025: find your next phone!
Flagships, foldables, midrangers and affordable models - there's an upcoming phone for all budgets
From hero handsets and foldable flagships to affordable mid-rangers, there’s never a shortage of shiny new upcoming phones to get excited about. That’s always true when your cellular contract comes up for renewal – something will be out there to tempt you away from the handset you’ve loved for the last year or two, no matter your budget.
These upcoming phones will all arrive in the next 12 months. We’ve included confirmed releases, rumoured reveals and likely launches, along with what you can expect, including specs, camera capabilities and software smarts. And for some added context, check out the summary of every major smartphone announcement from recent months, with links to our review of the biggest hitters.
Only care about phones you can buy right now? Read our guide to the best smartphones on sale today.
All the best upcoming phones we’re expecting soon
OnePlus 13
December looks likely for OnePlus’ next ‘flagship killer’ phone, albeit for China only. A global launch should follow in 2025. Early whispers suggest a colossal 6000mAh battery, which is bigger than anything in the mainstream mobile world right now. The recently confirmed Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset should also appear, but OnePlus wasn’t at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit to admit as much.
An AMOLED screen with very subtle curves on all four sides and a price competitive with anything Apple or Samsung are also expected. Hasselblad will still be helping out on the camera side, but we’ve heard nothing about sensors as yet. The handset has been shown off in official teaser images, with three colours and iPhone-like flat sides.
Don’t want to wait until December for the likely reveal – or even longer for a global launch? The OnePlus 12 is still fantastic value:
Asus ROG Phone 9
Asus was one of the first names to get behind Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm’s next-gen smartphone silicon due at the end of 2024. The ROG Phone 9 series will be officially launched in November, but all we have to go on right now is its CPU – and a few official images showing off the front and rear of the gamer-friendly flagship.
We can tell it’ll be packing a three sensor camera setup at the rear, along with dot matrix-style LED lighting. Everything else is a mystery, though you can bet it’ll have the unique features that made previous editions so popular with mobile gamers, including dual USB-C ports for charging and peripheral passthrough.
It’s not like the ROG Phone 8 Pro has gone anywhere in the interim, so if you don’t fancy waiting, you can pick one up right now:
Xiaomi 15 series
It’s set to be the first commercially available smartphone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, so the Xiaomi 15 series has it all to prove. Lower power consumption, stronger performance, faster AI processing and higher quality gaming are all promised, and you only have to wait until the end of the month to get one in hand – if you live in China, anyway. A global launch will likely follow in early 2025.
There’s no clue right now if Xiaomi will stagger its line-up like it did last year, with a mainstream Xiaomi 15 first and a photography-focused Xiaomi 14 Ultra later. Given the latter was one of our favourite camera phones of 2024, we’re hoping we won’t have to wait too long to see a sequel – hopefully with even more image processing advancements.
Until then, the Xiaomi 14 remains one of the most potent ‘small’ Android phones around, and can be found at tempting prices:
Honor Magic 7
Another phone confirmed at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, the Honor Magic 7 series will be among the first with a Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU inside. It’ll also bring a new open standard on-device AI, which promises to add generative details to gaming for the first time.
Expect a China launch to start with, with the big reveal scheduled for October 30. Expect some serious photo firepower, and the flat sided style that’s popular across the board right now – but will mark a big design change for Honor, which has stuck with curved edges for several generations.
With a global launch probably not happening until early 2025, Honor fans might want to consider the Magic 6 Pro instead – it’s still a stellar snapper, and can be had at a considerable discount versus the original retail price:
Apple iPhone SE 4
Apple’s most affordable iPhone model will apparently inherit styling from the iPhone 14, with flat sides and a 6.1in OLED screen bringing the SE bang up to date. That’s a big change from the outgoing model, which has old-school TouchID and a diddy 4.7in screen.
Dynamic Island is unlikely to make the cut, and the Action button probably won’t appear either; expect a notch and a traditional alert slider instead. USB-C connectivity is a given, as European rulings will soon prevent Apple from selling Lightning-equipped devices. A price rise seems likely to account for all that new hardware.
The next SE will probably arrive in March 2025, as this tends to be when Apple introduces new iPhone SE models. There’s still a chance it could appear alongside the iPhone 16 in September 2024. In the meantime, the current SE remains the cheapest way into iOS without shopping second-hand:
Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung’s upcoming flagship trio are likely still months away at this point – circle January 2025 in your diaries until we hear otherwise – but early tips have suggested Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon will appear across the board, regardless of where in the world you live. Smaller bezels and a less squared-off shape are expected for the Ultra, which may or may not get a new suite of rear cameras. Charging speeds aren’t looking like they’ll improve, though.
I’m betting Samsung will have plenty to say about Galaxy AI come launch day, and we can expect the usual top-tier OLED screens, feature-packed take on Android, and suitably flagship pricing.
If you want a new device now, rather than 2025, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains an absolute smasher of a smartphone:
Google Pixel 9a
Google has only recently overhauled its mainline Pixel range with a smaller Pro, and brought the Fold on side as well. Rumour suggest that could be it for the Pixel 9 generation, with a cheaper 9a off the cards – but other leakers have indicated that’s not the case. If we do get a Pixel 9a, expect it to hover around the $500/£500 mark and dilute down the Pixel 9’s Gemini AI smarts, clever rear cameras and fresh new design into something a little more wallet friendly.
Pixel fans could be in for a long wait until the 9a arrives – if it does at all. So in the meantime, the Pixel 8a is still a superb buy:
Latest smartphone releases
Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
A revised rear camera bump, Action button and new Camera Control touch surface mark the iPhone 16 out as one of the bigger upgrades to Apple’s mainstream model in recent years. New, more vibrant colours are on offer, and performance has taken another step up. Apple Intelligence will eventually be on board, too – though not at launch.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
This year’s flagship iPhones go even bigger, with 6.3in and 6.9in screens. They get the same Camera Control button as the vanilla iPhone 16, alongside the returning Action Button, and are still made from titanium. There are some decent camera upgrades, with both models now getting the 5x periscope zoom.
Honor’s latest book-style foldable is as thin as it gets, measuring a barely-there 4.4m when unfolded. No other rival comes close, at least here in the West where folding options are still thin on the ground. It’s a flagship through-and-through, with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, a set of high quality cameras, and a beefy enough battery to comfortably last all day.
Google’s mainstream flagship has been updated with fresh new duds, including a new take on the distinctive camera bar. It sticks with two rear cameras and a 6.3in screen, but makes the leap to Tensor G4 power and 12GB of RAM, which should help it stay speedy for the sorts of Gemini AI-accelerated tasks the firm reckons will be all the rage this year. It’s a harder sell now Google also has a compact Pro variant, though…
Google Pixel 9 Pro / Pixel 9 Pro XL
For the first time, Google is offering its non-folding flagship in two screen sizes. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3in screen, matching the vanilla Pixel 9, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL gets a 6.8in panel. Both have a majorly revised design – which is admittedly Apple-esque from the sides – but stand out with chunky camera bars containing a trio of sensors. They’re packing Tensor G4 chipsets, 16GB of RAM and enough battery for ‘all day use’, along with Gemini AI smarts.
A huge year-on-year upgrade for Google’s folding flagship, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a lot more than a simple name change. It shares its styling with the rest of the Pixel 9 generation, with a 6.3in outer screen and 8in inner panel (that finally folds completely flat). Three rear cameras, Tensor G4 silicon and ‘all day’ battery life make the cut, as do some fold-specific software additions. It’s pricey, but could give the Galaxy Z Fold6 some serious competition in territories where Chinese foldables aren’t readily available.
Finally closes the gap between Samsung’s foldable phones and the more mainstream Galaxy S series, with a potent Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, larger 4000mAh battery, and 50MP main camera sensor. The styling has been streamlined and the software upgraded, so while the cover screen hasn’t grown at all (and you still can’t run any app you like on it without some power tool workaround) it’s more usable than ever.
The world’s most popular book-style foldable has slimmed down a teeny tiny bit for its sixth generation. Shorter but wider dimensions add 1mm to the outer screen and 2mm to the inner one. The frame has been flattened and given a matte finish to better mimic the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Inside there’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset and extra large vapor chamber to keep it cool. A similar trio of cameras and same battery capacity as last year mean this foldable is all about the software, with lots of Galaxy AI additions.
Nothing’s bargain-focused sub-brand has diluted down the already affordable Nothing Phone 2(a) to the bare essentials, while keeping the same fantastic software and the sort of performance you just don’t expect for the cash. A 50MP main camera takes impressively good photos, and the modular accessories make it truly unique. No NFC is a bit of a downer, but otherwise there’s little that can match it for £200.
An even larger cover screen, bigger battery, and majorly upgraded camera hardware help cement the Razr 50 Ultra near the top of the flip-style foldable pile. Being able to use any app you like on the outer display transforms the way you use the phone, and translates to impressive longevity. Performance is right on the money, it looks the business in a range of vibrant colours, and takes a fantastic photo for a clamshell. Undercutting the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 makes it a fantastic flip phone option.
Photo specialist Studio Harcourt was tapped up for Honor’s new AI-enhanced portrait mode, giving the 200 Pro a leg up over the rest of the mid-range field. You’re getting a lot of hardware for your cash here, with three rear snappers, a giant 5200mAh battery, a bright AMOLED screen and Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 power. It’s not as mainstream as a Pixel 8 or Galaxy S24 – but one-ups them both in a few key areas.
After multiple generations of Sony doing its own thing with OTT screen resolutions and super-skinny aspect ratios, the Xperia 1 VI is a more mainstream flagship offering. It has a 19.5:9 screen with a Full HD+ pixel count, but benefits from higher brightness and LTPO adaptive refresh rate tech for some of the best battery life you’ll get from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phone. Sony hallmarks like expandable storage, a 3.5mm headphone port and front-firing stereo speakers remain, of course. The three-lens rear camera setup now zooms further and does a great job in auto mode, so amateur smartphone snappers are much better catered for.
Essentially a Pixel 8 for considerably less cash, with just a few cutbacks, the Pixel 8a is Google proving once again it can create a phenomenal affordable phone. It’s packing lots of Google’s new AI additions, a Tensor G3 processor, an IP67 rating, 120Hz display… the 64MP main camera and 13MP ultrawide are wonderfully capable, too. If £500 is your maximum budget for a smartphone, you’d be hard-pressed to go wrong with one of these.
Asus broke from tradition with this latest Zenfone. Instead of being pocket-friendly, the 11 Ultra went big with a 6.78in display. It’s flagship-grade everywhere you’d expect, including chipset (a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3), big battery, OLED screen and triple rear camera setup with stabilised main snapper. However, there’s a lot more competition among larger phones than there is at the smaller end of the smartphone spectrum, making it tough to recommend in light of more capable rivals.
It’s a big departure from Nothing’s last two phones, and makes a major change on the inside too – but the Nothing Phone 2a is still a compelling alternative to affordable models from big-name rivals. It simplifies the firm’s Glyph lighting, debuts a redesigned rear and uses MediaTek silicon to provide the power. It’s got a big battery and two capable cameras (for the cash), making it a winner in the sub-£350 class.
Honor’s latest flagship phones doubles down on a speedy set of rear snappers, only this time it also goes hard on the zoom front. A 180MP sensor with OIS and a 2.5x optical zoom promise near-perfect portraits, and AI assistance should mean better subject detection and motion tracking. A top-tier display, Snapdragon silicon and an especially big battery give it plenty of plus points.
The more mainstream of Xiaomi’s two 14 series models has a compact 6.36in screen, but that doesn’t mean it had to skimp on hardware. A sizeable battery capacity, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and a trio of very capable Leica-tweaked rear cameras make it a true rival to the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S24.
Arguably the biggest story out of this year’s MWC show, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra promises the best camera hardware you’ll find on any phone – plus a dedicated upgrade kit that adds physical controls into the mix. A 1in sensor main camera with variable aperture, twin telephotos with OIS and an ultrawide with an equally high pixel count make it a force to be reckoned with – and it’s undeniably a flagship phone everywhere else, with slick styling, plenty of power and a beefy battery. It’ll be on sale in Europe and the UK from mid-March.
Asus ROG Phone 8 / ROG Phone 8 Pro
Aggressive styling and mediocre cameras made older ROG phones tricky to recommend to non-gamers. The new ROG Phone 8 Pro changes that with a tempting trio of rear snappers and much more sedate styling. An IP68 rating and AMOLED screen help the ROG Phone 8 Pro go toe-to-toe with big name rivals, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU and oversized battery keep it a performance monster.
Technically still China-only at the time of writing, OnePlus’ latest flagship killer is expected to land in Europe imminently. We know exactly what to expect: the OnePlus 12 will land with a 6.82in AMOLED screen good for an astounding 4500nits peak brightness, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, and a three-lens rear camera setup headlined by a Sony-developed LYTIA stacked sensor.
The Galaxy A series are easily Samsung’s most popular phones in terms of worldwide sales, and the firm has gone all out with this latest generation to please the masses. It borrows a metal and glass build from the pricier Galaxy S24, and a matching main camera at the rear with a 50MP sensor. It doesn’t skimp on power or battery life, either. As an affordable entry to the range, it looks like the real deal.
Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus
This year’s two mainstream Galaxy flagships see minor styling tweaks compared to their predecessors, and reuse the same camera hardware. Bigger batteries, brighter displays with skinnier bezels, and an unwavering focus on on-device AI help them stand out, with the larger of the two also getting a higher screen resolution and faster wired charging.
The new hero of the Galaxy line-up has a titanium frame and Corning Gorilla Armor glass, making it super tough as well as super luxurious. That screen is flat now, rather than curved, and there’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 lurking underneath for serious power. AI is a big deal this year, being baked in to multiple apps and especially useful for generative photo edits.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
