A look at the Android smartphones still to come in 2017

Samsung, LG, and HTC may have been first to bat with their flagship smartphones, but there are still plenty more device launches to look forward to. The year is only halfway through, and with the launch of the fourth-generation OnePlus 5, we're officially headed into the summer smartphone release season.
What's left to see? There's plenty, actually. We've put together a list of some of the marquee Android-powered smartphone releases we're still waiting on to hit the scene later this year.
- ASUS ZenFone AR
- Motorola Moto X 2017
- Essential Phone
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- LG V30
- Google Pixel 2
- Huawei Mate 10
ASUS ZenFone AR
At the beginning of 2017, ASUS announced the ZenFone AR. It's been more than 6 months, and the only time we've had with it was on the ground at Google I/O 2017, where it was teased in various demonstrations. The ZenFone AR has yet to materialize into something you can actually buy.
In August, however, it'll launch exclusively at Verizon, though it'll also be sold unlocked. This is the first phone bundled with both the appropriate camera hardware and an optimized Snapdragon 821 chip that can handle both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. That's also why it went missing for so long — the ZenFone AR underwent rigorous testing to ensure that both technologies could operate seamlessly on a mobile device.
For now, we're waiting for the smartphone to hit Verizon before we take a dive into its abilities and test what it can really do with all that VR technology baked in.
Motorola Moto X 2017
As we learned from a revealing leak, the Moto X 2017 is part of the lengthy lineup of Motorola smartphones hitting the scene this summer. Following the launch of the Moto Z2, we should be seeing the Moto X 2017 debut fairly soon.
http://twitter.com/evleaks/status/863580163153461249
Thus far, leaks have pointed to the Moto X 2017 being powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor and 3GB of RAM, and that it'll carry 32GB of onboard storage. It may also tout a dual camera setup— perhaps the "unlimited perfection" tagline that's being used internally is a reference to a trick the main camera can do.
Essential Phone
Andy Rubin's pet project is finally gaining some momentum now that we know a bit more about it, including the fact that it's launching later this year. The Essential Phone comes with a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display. It's also powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 and offers 4GB of RAM, along with 128GB storage.
Other confirmed hardware specifications include USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, LTE support for all major U.S. carriers, fingerprint sensor at the back, an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter, and a 3,040mAh battery with fast charging abilities.
We don't know of the official ship date for the phones just yet, but for now, you can check it out (or pre-order it) here.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
I like to refer to Samsung's Galaxy Note as the summer's repeat blockbuster hit. The company's phablet-sized smartphone (can we really call it that anymore?) is usually announced rather loudly and with much fanfare in the Android scene during the month of August. The device also typically showcases some of Samsung's future-facing mobile features; for example, the original Note was used to introduce the storable S Pen, while the ability to use iris scanning to unlock the phone was introduced with the Note 7.
This year, the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 will no doubt be accommodated by a different air, considering last year's fiery battery fiasco. That led way to a bit of unfavorable press about the Galaxy Note 7 and Samsung will have to act diligently to change the message behind this particular line of devices.
Fortunately for the company, the latest rumor sounds good so far. Our very own Alex Dobie offered some insight on the hearsay and what it can tell us about the Galaxy Note 8:
The Galaxy Note line has historically packed the latest and greatest specs, and that trend should continue in the Note 8. It's likely we'll see at least Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 9 series chips running the show, just like the GS8.As Samsung looks to differentiate the Note line in ways other than sheer screen size, a jump to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as standard is probable, too.And that dual camera system we've been seeing in leaked Galaxy S8+ prototype photos is a good bet for the Note 8. Samsung showcased the Exynos 8895's dual ISP (image signal processor) support in its announcement imagery, and chances are the company wouldn't do that without having a specific product in mind.
We don't yet have reliable evidence of what the Note 8 will look like, but it's safe to say that it'll resemble its sibling, the Galaxy S8. You can expect metal, glass, slim bezels, no buttons, rounded corners, and that extra-tall infinity display. Historically, Note devices have been a bit boxier than Galaxy smartphones, too, so slightly narrower corners and flatter sides are a possibility.
As for specs, we don't know much about what will be inside the Galaxy Note 8, though we can infer that, like last year's Note 7, it'll operate on much of the same hardware as its predecessor. That means it'll run on a Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM, and shoot with the same 12-megapixel rear camera. Expect the battery size to be bigger, too — actually, expect a ton of emphasis on the battery.
LG V30
We actually don't know if the V30 will be the moniker behind LG's next smartphone, but we do know that whatever is next from LG will arrive ready to use with Daydream. At Google I/O, Google's Clay Bavor had teased that the manufacturer's next flagship would be compatible with the virtual reality spec.
Since Daydream requires an AMOLED display, we can expect the V30 to have an OLED panel instead of LG's usual choice of an IPS LCD display. (It seems the obvious choice if you consider LG has invested billions in OLED production.)
As for what else the LG V30 will be capable of? Well, that's hard to say, since there isn't much else out there on the forthcoming device. We can guess that it will likely employ a larger screen size, in addition to a G6-like 18:9 aspect ratio. It's also likely to come equipped with a Snapdragon 835 and plenty of RAM, considering its virtual reality capabilities.
Based on the release pattern of its predecessors over the last two years, expect to hear more about the LG V30 later this summer.
Google Pixel 2
If you've been paying attention to the blogosphere, then you now that we're mere months away from the debut of Google's next Pixel device. Until recently, we figured we'd see two more additions to the stock Android lineup—essentially a big phone and a bigger phone. But then the rumor mill began churning, and now there are reports alleging that Google will scale it back a bit this year.
Here's the low-down from our full Google Pixel 2 rumor roundup:
In March, it came out that a third potential Pixel device was being produced, codenamed "taimen", likely bigger than both "walleye" and "muskie".At the time, we didn't know much about the device, but in recent weeks it's come out that "taimen" would be built by LG, not HTC, and would be larger than the "XL" version of HTC's Pixel sequel, "muskie." It was then revealed that Google in fact canceled the "muskie," the larger of HTC's Pixels, for "taimen," leaving one HTC- and one LG-built Pixel phone for 2017.We still know very little about what this LG-built Pixel looks like or its specs, but we can speculate as to why Google added LG to the equation this year.
Beyond that, we know very little about the Pixel 2, save for the fact that it will feature Android O. We don't know what it will look like, nor do we know if the actual device will be water-resistant. We also don't know what's fueling it on the inside, though we figure it'll at least come equipped with a Snapdragon 835.
Check back after the heat waves subside and the leaves begin changing colors. We're expecting to hear more about the Pixel 2 in late September or early October.
Huawei Mate 10
There isn't much to speculate about the Huawei Mate 10 at present, considering it's been only 6 months since the Mate 9 has actually been on sale. But with the device's top-notch build quality and the later addition of virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa helping infuse a bit of an edge, we can expect that the Mate 10 will be a major contender in the Android sphere, particularly overseas.
What are we missing?
The world of Android smartphones is big and vast, and there are likely more rumors headed this way. Are we missing anything you're looking forward to? Let us know!
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Florence Ion was formerly an editor and columnist at Android Central. She writes about Android-powered devices of all types and explores their usefulness in her everyday life. You can follow her on Twitter or watch her Tuesday nights on All About Android.
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LG G6+?
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The g6+ is coming so soon tho.
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To the USA? I have my doubts.
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Isn't the Moto Z2 Force more marquee than the X? yeah the Z2 Play was released, but that's a mid-tier, Z2 and Z2 force should be flagship right?
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Yes, you're correct.
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there is also T-Mobiles exclusive phone that is supposed to compete with flagships
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Nokia 8/9?
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Good call
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I HOPE SO! I have a Nokia Lumia 920 and it is the one of the best built phones ever. 4 years and it looks brand new. Nokia...We need a Flagship Android Phone!
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The only Nokia's I had heard about were the 3, 5, and 6. I couldn't figure out what they were trying to accomplish and why they didn't have a phone with better specs. I love my Nokia and would like to have another one. Has there been any hard news about a potential release date for the 9?
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There's also the Nokia flagship...but the author is American so I'm not surprised they left out the phone millions will look into, and included phones no one but a few nerds will care about (like the "Essential Phone").
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That's right!! You people are irrelevant. You might as well accept it.
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I am ready to surrender my Nexus 5x in favor of a newer model. Will it be the Pixel 2, the Essential Phone or the LG V30? Decisions, decisions...
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I have the Lg V20, like it a lot, and can only think it will get better in the V30. The V20 right now is a tank, especially with a good case (like a Spigen carbon fibre).
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Can't wait for the new Pixel and Essential phones. Maybe Google cancelled the larger HTC phone because of production levels? Let's hope that they don't wait list everything for months this time around. If they do, they just are serious about the phone biz.
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What the hell is that ugly phone in the Pixel 2 photo?
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I was wondering about that too. And what is with the fingerprint scanner on the front of the phone? That can't possibly be a Pixel phone.
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I wonder what Verizon's play is on the Asus tango phone. They have to have some sort of special plans for it to be an exclusive.
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Could've been a part of the Pixel exclusivity deal. "You can be our exclusive retail launch partner for this big-ticket phone with a bunch of buzz, but you also have to put this weird little niche phone with a feature we're trying to grow in your stores, too."
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As i have the mate 9, I'll see what note 8 v30 and mate 10 will bring
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Me too, but I have to admit that I have no real reason to upgrade. I LOVE my Mate 9!
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Xiaomi MI Mix 2
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The Axon 8.
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Yeah the axon 7 was pretty cool
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"typically showcases some of Samsung's future-facing mobile features; for example, the Note II was used to introduce the storable S Pen" I think you meant to say the Note line introduced a storable S Pen as it's been there since the original Note.
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I'll update that.
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Next all touch BlackBerry, any news?
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Moto g5 +
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looking forward to the mate 10
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Anxiously awaiting the release of the Nokia9 but from what I understand they have recently changed the name. Was supposed to be released late 3 quarter but now there is some talk it may be earlier than that. For anyone that has not heard of the release of this phone, look it up. It's going to be a beast of a phone and a nice new flagship device from them
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Samsung G8 Active?
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Been involved in the video advertising for the forthcoming Note 8.
All I can say is: the background song (by some old crooner) is also the tag line. "Come Fly with Me" --------- OK I deserve multiple unlikes for that one :p -
"Some old crooner?" Wow...
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We all know it was Frankie.
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Also hard to believe the future Moto X will have last year's SD625.
I hadn't been following the rumours. -
Surprised to hear no mention of the Honor 9?
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https://nokiapoweruser.com/tag/nokia-9/
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Axon 7 successor! Best phone I've owned! Would love an SD835 version!
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Note 8 is the most anticipated one for 2017! I hope it will be a great phone
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Any phones that will actually fit in someone's pocket coming out this year?
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yes, the "Jelly" phones are coming out soon. in fact you can probably fit 4 of those into one's pocket.
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Why in the hell does Samsung force rounded edges on a Note smartphone? Bring back the flat screen for the Note please!
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I second that
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Completely agree! The rounded and curved edges can't really be used with the S Pen so it's lost screen real estate. :(
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Missing the ZTE Axon 8. Although it is a bit in the budget category, sort of like the OnePlus 5, the Axon 7 got good reviews last year.
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Nokia! And also a couple new Sony phones including a compact version!
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Looking forward to Nokia 9. The smaller Sony flagships that probably coming at the IFA event in Germany. Hopefully with smaller bezels.
And for one Chinese brand I waiting for are Vernee Mars Pro. A affordable flagship with 6 GB Ram and 64 GB Rom. (Some promotion videos are now out)