Even though the year has barely started, we’ve seen a lot of interesting stories about smartphones that will make their debut this month of January.
Some of them are from top-tier brands such as Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo, OPPO, and many others.
While the foldable smartphone market is getting stricter with Honor expected to also join the growing list of foldable smartphone makers on the market, we’ll now explore a list of smartphones that have already made their debut this month of January and those we’re still expecting before the end of the month.
1. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
This is certainly the first on my list and it’s also one of the most anticipated. While the device didn’t necessarily disappoint in terms of its features and design aesthetics, the price is what threw the device off balance.
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But apart from that, the device is like a perfect balance between the high-end mid-range Galaxy A72 and the base-level premium-tier Galaxy S21.
It features a bright OLED panel, triple camera system, lots of storage space, and other interesting Galaxy-related perks which you should find amazing.
2. Realme GT2
Realme is slowly but surely becoming a household brand on the smartphone market and the release of its GT 2 series proves that.
The device is comprised of two major flagship-tier devices: Realme GT 2 and Realme GT 2 Pro. The device debut on January 4th.
Speaking of specifications, the base Realme GT 2 comes with a 6.62-inch AMOLED panel with an FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
And as for the GT 2 Pro which is the high-end variant, it sports a bigger and better 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel with a fast 120Hz refresh rate.
Powering the base Realme GT 2 is the Snapdragon 888 chipset while the Realme GT 2 Pro gets the recent Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.
Both devices came with a big battery and a blazing-fast charging capacity as well.
In the camera department, the base model sports a 50MP primary sensor and another 8MP and 2MP combo while the high-end model sports two 50MP sensors and a telephoto camera.
3. Lenovo Legion Y90
For those in China, the Lenovo Legion Y90 gaming smartphone will make its debut this month of January and will come with some extreme-gaming specifications such as a massive 6.92-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a whopping 720Hz touch-sampling rate.
Other cool features of the device include its Double Engine Air Cooling technology that is similar to the Double Turbo Fan Supercharged Liquid Cooling technology that was used in Legion Phone 2 pro.
Lenovo will also make use of advanced cooling technology to enhance the performance of its Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 internal storage.
4. Vivo Y21T
Vivo is that unpopular smartphone brand that makes great budget-friendly smartphones. And speaking of budget-friendliness, the company has announced its Y21T both in Indonesia and India.
The device sports a moderate 6.5-inch LCD display with an HD+ resolution which also has a moderate 60Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 89% screen-to-body ratio.
The Vivo Y21T is powered by Snapdragon 680 chipset and has 6GB of RAM along with 128GB of internal storage.
The device will is also powered by Android 11 out of the box and sports a triple rear camera setup apart from its teardrop camera cut-out for its front-facing selfie camera.
5. iQOO 9, 9 Pro
iQOO 9 series made its debut in China on Jan. 5th. The series comes with two models – iQOO 9 and 9 Pro and both devices are high-performance devices.
Both are powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset but there are some differences between the base model and the high-end model.
For example, the base iQOO 9 sports a nice 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate while the iQOO 9 Pro has the same display size but it’s curved with a QHD+ resolution and makes use of LTPO technology apart from having a high 120Hz refresh rate.
Both devices have Samsung GN5 sensors and use Samsung’s JN1 secondary sensor. Better batteries and super-fast charging technologies are also expected on the devices.
6. Vivo V23
Vivo debuts its first-color changing phone smartphone in India and it’s called Vivo V23. The device’s back is designed to change its color under direct sunlight and UV light.
The device comes in two models – V23 and V23 Pro both sport 50MP autofocus dual selfie camera. And the high-end sports a bigger primary sensor.
Even though these are mid-range devices, they both have some interesting features such as AMOLED panels, high refresh rates, and big batteries and storage options.
7. Xiaomi 11i, 11i HyperCharge
Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge made its debut today Jan. 6th in India. The device looks pretty similar to the previously mentioned Redmi Note 11 Pro+ but with a couple of tweaks to make it look different.
The device sports a Samsung AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
It’s powered by MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset and paired with an 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.
In the camera department, it sports a triple set up with the main sensor being 108MP. As for the battery, you get a big 4,500mAh battery with a blazing-fast 120W fast charging support.
8. Realme 9i
The Realme 9i is among several smartphones expected to be revealed by January 10th. Based on early revelations, this is an entry-level device and sports a Snapdragon 680 chipset.
Its display is an LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. It’s expected to come with a triple rear camera system and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Its battery will be a big 5,000mAh battery.
9. OnePlus 10, OnePlus 9RT
OnePlus 10 is among the premium flagships we’re expecting this year. The device will include the base model and a Pro model with a better tweak above the base model of course.
Both models are expected to come with great AMOLED displays with a high refresh rate even though speculations have it that the OnePlus 10 Pro will have a bigger 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
The company will also continue with the placement of the Hasselblad’s badge on its triple camera setup which is made up of 48MP, 50MP, and an 8MP.
The series is rumored to come powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 onboard storage.
OnePlus will launch the OnePlus 9RT on January 14 in India. The OnePlus 9RT is slated to come with a 6.62-inch 120Hz screen, 50MP triple camera system, and Snapdragon 888 SoC.
10. Tecno Pova 5G
Another budget-friendly smartphone coming to the market in India is Tecno POVA 5G which is expected to be launched in the third or fourth week of January.
According to rumors, the device could debut under IN₹20,000(~$269) price point and be powered by Dimensity 900 chipset as well as a triple rear camera system.
The device made its debut in Nigeria with a large 6.95-inch LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
It has a massive 6,000mAh battery that can charge at 18W. It has a triple rear camera system and other cool stuff you can get on an affordable smartphone.
11. Oppo A16K
OPPO will be bringing its A16K model to the market in India. The device is rumored to sport a 6.53-inch HD+ display and a dual rear camera setup.
Being an entry-level device, it’s expected to be powered by an Helio G35 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
As for the battery, it will sport a 4,230mAh battery with a 10W charging speed. It’ll come with ColorOS based on Android 11.
12. Honor Magic V
Honor is entering the new foldable smartphone market with its Magic V. The device is expected to be launched in China while we don’t necessarily have all the details about an international release.
One thing for sure is the fact that the device will offer some amazing features and cool specifications. According to recent pictures and teases shared online, the device will come with the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and a triple rear camera system.
The displays will also be large compared to the mini foldable smartphone released by OPPO late last year.
