We heard about these phones in 2019, and we’ve been patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting their release. Some are coming early this year. Some, like the much-anticipated Microsoft Surface Duo, aren’t coming until the holidays are here again. Look for other offerings mostly in the first half of this year. Camera technology is all the rage, with most phones boasting multiple cameras with optical and digital zoom. Cost is also a factor, with some phones costing upwards of $1500 U.S. and others promising to be much more affordable to get 5G into the hands of more people. We’ll look at five of the top Android phones here.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2
Samsung has their new version of the Fold, and this is already available in some markets. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is reported to be lighter than the original Fold. The inner display is 6.7 inches and folds in half like the Motorola Razr. It has an OLED display that is harder and sturdier than the previous Fold. The problem of the screen getting peeled away has been fixed. It has been tucked under the bezel at the corners, and a “T” joint was placed at the hinges to address the gap where the screen was being peeled back.
For those of you wondering about the cameras, it has two cameras on the back, a 12 megapixel, a 16 megapixel ultra-wide + 12-megapixel telephoto, and a 10 megapixel + 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The front camera also has an RGB sensor. It has an outer screen where you can open an app when the phone is closed, and when you open the phone, the app will be open on the main screen. The custom keyboard splits down the center of the screen, and the power button, volume, and fingerprint scanner are all on the hinge. It will be available in 5G in some markets, and perhaps we will see it in February.
Microsoft Surface Duo
Microsoft is going to have another go at the mobile phone market, though they keep saying the Surface Duo is much more than just a phone. It’s another folding phone, but this one has two separate displays with a special hinge that allows the displays to rotate 360°. With both displays, the screen is a total of 8.3” inches. It won’t have an outer screen, like the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, but you can drag and drop items from one screen to another, allowing you to multitask, and you can use the Surface pen with it. Unlike the rest of the phones coming out in 2020, Microsoft only shows it with one camera. Calls come in on the right screen.
The Microsoft Surface Duo will be an Android device, though it’s not known if it will run on Android 10 or 11. It’s also not known if the device’s wireless will support 5G or not. But by the holiday season of 2020, when Microsoft is currently projecting its release, the Surface Duo may be a little behind if it doesn’t run Android 11 and have 5G wireless capability. Rumour says it will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor.
Oppo Find X2
Oppo is making a new phone, the Find X2, due out in the first quarter of 2020. There’s a possibility it could be at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this year, but no one knows for sure. It’s going to run Android 9, and have the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor. Not only does it have 12 GB of RAM, but it’s also got plenty of space for all your photos and videos with 256 GB of internal storage. The Oppo Find X2 has an AMOLED 6.5” 1080p display.
Cameras are a major consideration in the Oppo Find X2 design with a 25-megapixel front camera and a 16 megapixel + 24-megapixel rear camera with digital zoom and 10x optical zoom. It has a custom Sony sensor for its rear camera. Because of its Omni-directional phase-detection autofocus, it’ll have powerful, faster autofocus. It will only have 4G wireless. There is a 3900mAh battery in the phone. The Oppo Find X2 promises to be a phone we can all look forward to.
One Plus 8
We expect to hear about a new One Plus in 2020, probably the One Plus 8 and One Plus 8 Pro, going on the model from the 7. We’re expecting a front punch-hole selfie camera and a triple punch hole rear camera. It will have a curved display like Samsung. We’re expecting the 8 Pro will be slightly larger than the 8. Both the 8 and the 8 Pro may have 5G capability, and we’re expecting them both to be fast-charging. The screen will have a 90 Hz refresh rate, just like the One Plus 7 Pro. The phones will probably use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and run on Android 10. They’ll probably be revealed in April or May 2020.
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Samsung Galaxy S11
Everyone is anxiously awaiting the release of the Samsung Galaxy S11. Rumor says that it has a 108-megapixel camera with a 5x optical zoom. Supposedly, it has five cameras. There’s also an under-panel camera sensor. It does 8K video recording at 30 fps. The display comes in three sizes: 6.4”, 6.7”, and 6.9”. The phone features 5G and LTE connectivity, with 5G only for the largest model. The 5G wireless reduces the phone’s demands for power, making the 5000 mAh battery last longer.
The Samsung Galaxy S11 features a curved edge display. It may not have a headphone jack, in case you wanted an excuse to go ahead and buy those Bluetooth headphones. It should be available in black, white, blue and pink. There’s a lot of speculation surrounding this phone, including the date of release. Some have said February 18, with the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 being released on the same day. We will see.
2019 saw innovations in the phone industry, like folding phones and new cameras. 2020 is going to continue with that. There could be dark horses in the race who could turn into major players before it’s all said and done. But between hopes, expectations, and the purely unknown, 2020 promises to be an exciting year for mobile phones, and we’ll be watching closely.
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