14 DAY TRIAL // As it happens every year, the fall that time when several of the world’s top smartphone manufacturers unveil their high-end models, and as we get closer to this moment, more and more leaks provide us with an early look at these devices.
Google and Apple are obviously the companies projected to take the wraps off two of the most highly-anticipated products, as the Pixel and the iPhone have been the pioneers of new tech and features for several years already.
Based on rumors, here’s what we expect from Apple and Google in terms of product launches for the 2018 generation.
Apple’s 2018 iPhone
First and foremost, Apple will launch a trio of models that would include a successor to the iPhone X (5.8-inch OLED), an iPhone X Plus (6.5-inch OLED), and an entirely-new iPhone (6.1-inch LCD).
The LCD configuration is projected to hit the market at a lower price tag as compared to the other premium siblings, and this means that it may cost around $699 for the base level. Apple may stick with a single camera on the back as a cost-saving measure, and features like wireless charging and 3D Touch could also be removed.
As for the other two versions, they will be based on the iPhone X look, but boast a bigger screen in the case of the Plus-sized model, and hardware upgrades, with a new chip, possibly a boost to 4GB RAM, and up to 512GB storage.
All three iPhones will come with an edge-to-edge display, a notch at the top of the screen, and Face ID facial recognition, as the home button would be removed from the entire lineup.
Google Pixel 3
Google is also working on a Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and by the look of things, it’ll embrace the notch as well. But as Google itself said, software is the company’s priority, so the Pixel 3 won’t bring too many changes in terms of hardware and design.
Hardware upgrades to the latest Snapdragon chip, at least 4GB RAM, and the latest Android version will be part of Pixel 3’s lineup, but on the other hand, Google is also planning to stick with a single lens camera and a fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the phone.
Leaks have shown that the Pixel 3 will also get a notch, but as compared to the iPhone X, it’ll be considerably larger and come alongside a massive chin at the bottom of the display.
In other words, the 2018 product lineup for Google and Apple may look as shown in the leaks below (you can check out the photo gallery at the end of the article for full-size photos):
While Samsung is only expected to unveil its new Galaxy S model in early 2019, the wait might really be worth it this time.
As compared to both Google and Apple, Samsung is planning more dramatic changes for the Galaxy S10, and a render published recently be Ben Geskin shows just how huge this overhaul is going to be.
If this photo is accurate, Samsung plans to use a screen with almost invisible bezels, with front-facing parts integrated into the screen, including here the front-facing camera, the facial recognition module and… the fingerprint sensor.
Samsung could use three different cameras on the back with a wide-angle sensor, though this may be a feature exclusive to the Galaxy S10+ model.
Obviously, these are all just rumors and the photo here is a render, but given that the S10 is Samsung’s own anniversary model, it makes sense for the company to prepare such a major overhaul.
So if these all prove to be true, Samsung is the only company truly bringing something new to the market. This means it’s bye-bye, Apple and hello, Samsung for me. And I’m pretty sure I won’t be alone.
