Best new phones 2021: most anticipated models from iPhone to Samsung and their release dates

From the iPhone 13 to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, here are all the latest rumours for the best new phones upcoming in 2021.

By Joe Julians

Published: Friday, 30 July 2021 at 12:00 am

Another year and another batch of new exciting mobile phones on the way from all the developers that you would expect new offerings to come from.

Apple and Samsung both have new phones supposedly on the way, the flip phone continues its resurgence, and Google is back with the latest mobiles in its Pixel range.

And they are not alone as many other phones are likely to debut throughout 2021 and we are rounding up the best of what we think is on the way as the year goes on.

So read on for the best new phones coming out in 2021, what they are likely to feature, and when we think they are likely to be made available for us to get our hands on. You may also want to check out our best iPhone, best budget smartphone and best Samsung phone round-ups, too.

Which new phones are upcoming in 2021?

Best new phones 2021

iPhone 13 series

It may feel like only yesterday that we got the iPhone 12 but already eyes are now on the next model from Apple and all being well we could be seeing it land in around 6 months time. Word is that the 13 range will have four phones as part of its family, one up from the 12, and this could be the home that finally gives us a high refresh display – potentially up to 240Hz.

An always-on display is highly rumoured at this point and there is a lot of talk about the notch being reduced in size too. An under-display fingerprint scanner is supposedly coming too so that it matches up with other phones such as Samsung, and as for the size of the models, well don’t expect them to be any smaller as all indications are that the sizes of the 12 will continue on for 13.

As for the camera, rumours are pointing towards it being improved once again and one of the features planned is for better low light performance and there could well be the inclusion of a periscope mode for taking snaps. Sensor shift optical image stabilisation is also apparently on the way for all the upcoming models – the Pro Max has it already. As for storage, Apple is apparently looking at 1TB phones now, although we expect them to be on the higher end models only for this next release at least.

There is also the name of the next wave of iPhones. We have gone with calling them 13 for now but given some peoples thoughts about that number (unlucky for some), there is a strong chance that Apple will skip this and the new phone will be called something else altogether.

Find out more in our iPhone 13 release date page.

More latest news, reviews and comparisons on iPhones:

Don’t want to wait for the iPhone 13? Where to buy an iPhone 12:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

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Remember how satisfying that feeling of flipping a phone shut after finishing a call was? Well, the age of the flip phone may have seemed like it was forever a relic of the past but it now looks as if the resurgence of them will continue and Samsung are leading the charge!

Most of what seems to be on the way for the new Samsung flip phone appears to be being kept under wraps but we have been able to learn a few things about what we should expect when it comes out. The foldable screen looks to be the biggest on the market, impressive given that it flips, and all indications are that the Fold 3 will support Samsung’s S Pen stylus.  The hinge is rumoured to have an RGB light strip and an in-screen camera seems likely at this point.

While that is not a lot to go on at the moment, we expect to hear a lot more details about the Fold 3 soon as it appears to be looking at a summer release – which is not as far away as it sounds given that we are already in Spring now.

One thing that people will be paying keen attention to though is the size of the phone. The flip phones tend to be quite large and chunky and it has been said before that finding a way to make these thinner and smaller is something that Samsung is looking at. Could this latest phone from the company be the one where they show us they have been able to do just that?

Find out more in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date page. And for more on another phone that Samsung have in the works, head to our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 release date page.

More latest news, reviews and comparisons on Samsung Galaxy phones:

Don’t want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3? Where to buy its predecessor:

Huawei P50

We expected the Huawei P50 to have been officially announced by now as the company has a history of rolling out new phones in March. But given that March is almost at an end and we still have heard nothing, look for this one to be released a little later in the year with many indicating we should keep a close eye on May.

As usual, expect a top of the range camera for this, most likely the best yet, which is certainly a cause for excitement as the last took some of the best photos we have seen on the market. But details of the specs and other changes we may be seeing have not yet been revealed and there has not been much in the way of leaks this time which means we do not have a huge amount to go on.

One thing that we are keen to find out though is whether the issues the company has with Google, or vice versa, has been resolved because the Huawei range does not currently allow access to any apps through Google which makes it quite limiting. You can still get apps, but you are reliant on third parties to give them to you which is always a bit more fiddly and not always reliable. It is a big sticking point for phone buyers and the hope is that all this will have been resolved by the time the P50 comes out.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on that and all other aspects of this new phone as its release date nears.

Want to snap up it’s predecessor? Here’s where to buy:

Nokia 10

Could 2021 finally be the year that we get our hands on the elusive Nokia 10? We have been waiting for this new phone for some time now and have been tracking it throughout its development where it ended up going by a variety of names before seemingly settling on the Nokia 10 – a phone that looks to be a new flagship for the company.

There is still an outside chance that the phone could be out this spring but the more time that passes, the more we are inclined to think it has been shunted back to the second half of the year which would be a pain, but given how long we have been waiting we are sure we can manage a few more months.

Whenever the new phone comes out and whatever it ends up being called, we do know that two versions seem to be on the cards and it appears to have the high-end Snapdragon 865 processor which should give it a huge boost over the last model – or even the as yet unavailable 875 processor.

And as for the rumours that it will foldable… well, hold your horses. We do believe that Nokia is looking at a foldable phone in the future but we have no reason to suspect they will surprise us and give it to us this early – although what a revelation that would be were it to be the case.

And the biggest question of course is whether it will have Snake on it – something that we think should be the main selling point of any phone that Nokia comes up with. If you’re particularly interested in the Finnish brand, you can read our Nokia 3.4 review.

The LG Rollable

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For the phones that we are fairly certain will be coming out in 2021, we’ll finish with the most interesting of the lot – the LG Rollable – a phone with a rollable screen (if the name didn’t give it away) which is a whole new thing for the mobile phone world and the word is that the screen can extend from 6.8 inches to 7.4 inches.

We know that the phone is coming and we have every reason to think it will be released in 2021 – despite rumours swirling that the idea had been quietly abandoned. It has officially been certified to use Bluetooth 5.2, as spotted by XDA Developers, which certainly indicates that things are still moving as planned with it.

Should this come out, we suspect it may be the final hurrah for LG if it does not take off as they have apparently been exploring the idea of leaving the phone world behind altogether and there is no denying that a unique screen like this would be a make or break for them.

One thing that could work against them though is cost. This will likely be a very niche phone which could make it expensive – so whether it will be enough to justify people forking out the extra for remains to be seen but in a world where mobile phones are coming from all over, we do feel the urge to get behind a company that is trying something different.

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