The best upcoming Android phones that are worth the wait

There’s no shortage of powerful smartphones to go around (we have a list of the best phones here), but it’s our nature to wonder what’s ahead. What could be in the works for the rest of 2023 and beyond? Let’s talk about the hottest upcoming Android phones. We’ll mainly focus on devices that will likely be released in the next year or two, to keep things more relevant and not speculate on far-off projects.

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best new and upcoming Android phones.

New Android phones

If you don’t plan on waiting, some great phones are always launching. It’s important to know what’s already out, so here is a short list of the latest devices to hit the market.

• Google Pixel Fold ($1799 at Amazon): The Google Pixel Fold was unveiled at Google I/O 2023. It’s a powerful device with a foldable screen and an even more impressive price point.
• Google Pixel 8 series ($699 at Amazon): Just as expected, Google launched its Pixel 8 handsets on October 4, 2023. These offer refinement and incremental improvements. Of course, you get impressive cameras, great performance, a gorgeous design, and more. If you want more, you can always go with the Pixel 8 Pro, too ($999 at Amazon).
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 ($1799.99 at Samsung): This is Samsung’s latest high-end foldable phone. It features an improved hinge, top-of-the-line performance, and a great overall experience. It’s also costly, though.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 ($999.99 at Samsung): Those who prefer the flip-phone style will love the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. Aside from the high-end performance and overall great experience, it now has a much larger external display.
• OnePlus Open ($1499.99 at OnePlus): In a world where high-end foldables cost $1800, it’s nice to see OnePlus releasing the Open for $1,699.99. That’s still pricey, but things are improving, and this phone is fantastic. You get powerful specs, an excellent design, high-speed 67W charging, and gorgeous displays.
• Google Pixel 7a ($477 at Amazon): If you’re looking for a more affordable, yet very capable device, the Pixel 7a was also announced alongside the Pixel Fold. It’s impressive how much smartphone you can get with this $499 device.
• Samsung Galaxy S23 FE ($599.99 at Amazon): Samsung revealed a great affordable alternative to its high-end S23 devices in early October, 2023. The Galaxy S23 FE offers a near-high-end experience at just $599. It still has a great design, powerful performance, a gorgeous screen, an IP68 rating, wireless charging, and an overall great experience.
• Motorola Razr Plus ($699.99 at Amazon): Are you looking for a flip phone with a foldable screen? The Motorola Razr Plus is the hottest one around, with a gorgeous design, sizeable external display, very good specs, and a reasonable price point. And if you want something even cheaper, but still great, there’s also the Motorola Razr 2023 ($499.99 at Amazon).
• Sony Xperia 1 V ($1398 at Amazon): The Sony Xperia 1 V is a powerhouse of a device, with stunning performance, a gorgeous 4K display, and impressive camera features. The only reason we place it lower on this list is because of its price, which seems a bit unreasonable at $1,399.99.
• Sony Xperia 5 V (£849 at Amazon): The Sony Xperia 1 V is an amazing device, but it may be a bit overkill to many. If you want something great for Sony, and at a much more reasonable price, the Sony Xperia 5 V goes for €999. It’s not available in the USA (yet), but it is a great high-end phone if you live in a market where it’s available.
• Fairphone 5 (€699 at Manufacturer site): The Fairphone 5 is made for a particular niche audience. It is a modular device. You can replace things like the display, battery, cameras, USB-C ports, and more. Additionally, it is a pretty capable phone, and has an update promise of at least eight years!
• Xiaomi 14 series ($689 at Giztop): The Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro ($899 at Giztop) are amazing devices. In fact, they are the first to come with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Other highlights include a 2K display on the Pro model, up to 16GB of RAM, and a gorgeous design.

Upcoming 2023 Android phones

We are nearing the end of the year, and pretty much all the phones we were expecting to see are out. Here’s the little that’s left to maybe see.

The Microsoft Surface Duo series is interesting. Microsoft went full-force into the foldable device market, offering the first iteration of the Surface Duo in September 2020, and the Surface Duo 2 in October 2021. However, there was no Surface Duo launch in 2022. What happened?

We still don’t know much about the upcoming Microsoft foldable, but sources from Windows Central claim the Microsoft Surface Duo 3 was finalized, and then canceled. This is likely due to the strong influence of actual foldable displays, which have flooded the market. The Surface Duo’s middle gap is simply not as pleasant to use.

The rumors claim Microsoft’s following foldable will have an actual foldable panel, as well as an external display. If this holds true, it will resemble other modern foldable phones. As such, it may no longer have the Duo monicker. It’s hard to tell, and details are still scarce, but this is an exciting device to look forward to.

We aren’t sure of a release date, but if we are to go by previous launches, the phone might be announced sometime around September or October. Windows Central’s Zec Bowden believes this to be unlikely, though, and thinks the launch will come later.

You can continue reading more in our dedicated Microsoft Surface Duo 3 rumor hub.

• When will the Microsoft Surface Duo 3 be released? — Maybe September-October, but likely later

The Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro are already out, and they are great devices, but Xiaomi fans know the true flagship is always the Ultra version. In this case, this would be the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The thing is that these Ultra models don’t usually get launched until a few months later. Usually around Q1 or Q2 of the following year.

Sadly, we don’t know much about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra yet, but you can be sure it will come with stunning specs. Likely the best the industry has to offer, and it will probably beat most of the leading flagships. If you’re interested in the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, we also have a rumor hub for it.

• When will the Xiaomi 14 Ultra be released? — Likely around Q1 or Q2 of 2024

If you don’t need a new phone in 2023, you can start looking into the 2024 devices. Here are the most exciting ones you should keep in mind.

• Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Samsung always kicks off the year with its highly-anticipated flagship devices. The next ones should come sometime around January or February.
• Google Pixel 9: Of course, Google shouldn’t stay behind. We can almost bet we will see the Pixel 9 series coming in 2024. And if the last few Pixel releases are anything to go by, it will likely be around October.
• OnePlus 12: OnePlus devices usually launch globally within the first quarter of each year. Rumors say this time we should see a December 2023 or January 2024 launch. In either case, the global launch should be a month or two later.
• Samsung Galaxy A55: The Galaxy A series is Samsung’s best value offering, and these usually launch in March. We expect the same in 2024.
• ASUS ROG Phone 8: ASUS isn’t always very consistent with its gaming phone launches. The last one came in April, though.
• Sony Xperia 1 VI: These camera powerhouses usually launch around May or June.
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6: We are almost sure Samsung will continue releasing foldables. If previous launches are anything to go by, it will likely be in July or August.

We’re sticking to ones we are almost certain we’ll see in the year for this section, but there may be other devices coming. Some may include a Google Pixel Fold 2, OnePlus Open 2, and others. If we omitted these or any other possible upcoming devices, it’s because they are too far off or new to know if a successor is coming in 2024.

Keep in mind these are only some of the best upcoming Android phones. We’ve focused on the ones we’re most looking forward to. It’s essential to remember that the industry continues to push forward, so we’re sure there will be plenty of other exciting announcements in the next six months. As always, we’ll be here at AndroidAuthority.com telling you all about them!