Most of 2021's biggest phone launches are behind us now, with the latest flagships from Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, and more now on sale. It's not over yet though - we're almost certain to see both the Xiaomi 12 and Motorola Edge X30 launch in China before the year's out, though it'll be a little longer before they reach the UK.
Just as importantly, soon we'll start hearing more about 2022's biggest releases. Qualcomm has now unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which will power next year's first few flagship launches like the OnePlus 10 and Samsung Galaxy S22.
The Snapdragon will have competition from the MediaTek density 9000 though, which for the first time has matched its rival on specs - how many big brands will make the jump away from Snapdragon for their biggest 2022 releases?
Before long we'll be back around in time for the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 - not to mention software upgrades like Android 13 and iOS 16.
Xiaomi 12 on December 21
Xiaomi has promised that the Xiaomi 12 will be the first phone to pack the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, which all but guarantees it will launch sometime this month - in China at least, with a global launch later.
Based on leaks we're expecting fast 100W charging, a curved OLED screen, and a 50Mp main camera. It's also likely to launch alongside a smaller Xiaomi 12X phone, with a souped-up 12 Ultra likely later in 2022.
Honor Magic 3 - Q4 2021
The Honor Magic 3 series was announced in China in August, and we know that it's getting a global release, but we just don't know when.
The three phones here - the Magic 3, 3 Pro, and 3 Pro+ - are more premium than the Honor 50, with prices set to start from €899 in Europe.
The Pro models feature the Snapdragon 888+ chipset and quad rear cameras, while the base Magic 3 isn't far behind with an 888 and triple camera.
Like the Honor 50, all three phones will also have full Google support when they eventually ship worldwide.
Asus ROG Phone 6 - Q2 2022
Asus doesn't launch every ROG Phone in the UK - and sometimes they just come late, like the recent ROG Phone 5s and 5s Pro - but we have good odds of getting the ROG Phone 6 in summer 2022.
After all, we did get the ROG Phone 5 right on schedule, and this is likely to be a more meaningful follow-up to that phone.
We're not sure exactly what to expect - through the 360Hz touch sampling rate from the 5s series seems like a safe bet. Otherwise expect tweaks to the design, the next-gen Snapdragon flagship chipset, and likely more novelties like the rear OLED display found on the 5 Pro.
Apple iPhone SE 2 or SE Plus - 2022
Apple's new iPhone SE went on sale back in April 2020, but rumors since have pointed towards the launch of either a follow-up or a Plus model. If you're thinking that might be imminent, though, don't hold your breath; we could be waiting until 2022.
The long-rumored SE Plus is not simply a larger version of the iPhone SE, mind you. Prolific Apple leakster Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the iPhone SE Plus will feature either a 5.5 or 6.1in display and, crucially, it’ll sport a “full-screen design” like that of the iPhone 11 range. It may also have a Touch ID built into the power button.
The iPhone 14 may still be a while away, but we have our first leaks of what to expect from the next Apple flagship.
Renders based on leaks sourced by Jon Prosser reveal the alleged end of the controversial notch - supposedly replaced by a punch-hole camera, with the rest of the Face ID tech hidden under the display itself.
Round volume buttons return, while the camera lenses are now flush against the body - achieved in part by making the phone itself thicker.
It's too far off to know if this is what the iPhone 14 will look like for certain, but it's already enough to get us excited.
A folding iPhone has been rumored ever since the first foldable display tech existed pretty much, but thanks to leaks and rumors we have pretty good reason to believe Apple is at least working on a foldable iPhone - even if it's probably years away.
Apple is rarely the first to market with new tech, though given that Samsung has already released several iterations of its folding tech there's a risk Apple will look backward if it doesn't follow suit until 2023 - though if it can perfect the tech in that time it may well be worth the wait.
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