Upcoming smartphone launches to look forward to

While Apple is known to make big announcements every year in September, Samsung and Google devices are slated for an August launch. Besides these biggies, LG and Sony also plan to bring in some fierce competition in the smartphone arena. The next two months seem quite promising for the smartphone category.  So without further ado, here are some hot upcoming smartphone launches to look out for.  

Apple iPhone 5S and budget iPhone
Apple’s iPhone event slated for September will see the company unveiling the iPhone 5S, and probably a budget iPhone too. According to an analysis of data released by Apple, we could see the iPhone 5S before September 28, and some speculate the event date to be September 18. We had earlier heard that Apple’s trusted manufacturing partner, Foxconn, had stepped up hiring for iPhone 5S production. The company has added more than 10,000 assembly-line workers per week since late March at their Zhengzhou production facility for iPhones. Soon after, we saw images of the alleged Apple 5S motherboard, which showed a new processor dubbed A7. It is touted to feature a quad-core processor. While we’ll see a new processor, the 5S is likely to share the same exterior as well as dimensions of the iPhone 5.  On the other hand, news about Apple 5S being delayed as the company is considering a larger screen has also started making rounds.

The next-gen iPhone will run on the latest iOS 7 version. Siri is likely to come with major improvements, and the speech engine is expected to be fine tuned to bring more features to the voice assistant. Apparently, Siri will now be able to converse in a number of languages. The 5S is also rumoured to support Power SGX554MP4 graphics processor for better performance during demanding games and for 3D rendering. Other alleged features are a dual-LED flash and biometric fingerprint sensor embedded into the iPhone's iconic home button to add an extra layer of security.

The side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S

Along with the iPhone 5S, the company is also said to be launching a budget iPhone for developing countries like China. Reportedly, sales of the iPhone 5 in Mainland China are tapering due to the pricing, and a budget version may just help increase it. The budget iPhone supposedly has a super-thin plastic casing mixed with glass fibre instead of aluminium or glass seen in the other iPhone models. This will help reduce the price significantly. Some leaks also suggest that the budget iPhone will flash some bright colours such as red, blue, yellow, white and black. It is likely to run on iOS 7 and come powered by an older A5 chip. It could feature a 4-inch screen and a 5MP shooter. The price is speculated to be somewhere between $230 and $300 (Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000 approx). But the question is: Will Apple launch the budget smartphone in India?

Google Moto X 
Google has sent out invites for the new Moto X smartphone slated to launch on August 1. This Texas-made smartophone is said to be fuelled by a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. One can expect support for LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It is likely to feature a 10MP rear camera and 2MP front -camera. Google also released a video on Google+ giving a clearer view of the Moto X smartphone. Among Moto X's key features is a more powerful version of Google's voice-command service – Google Now. It will also come with a new notification system in lieu of the notification LED – a common feature on Android devices. Instead of a blinking light, notifications on the Moto X show up briefly on the screen when the phone is locked with an icon depending on what the notification is about. In addition to this, the smartphone will come with some handy motion-sensing capabilities. For instance, users can just twist their wrist twice to start up the camera. The smartphone will be running on Android jelly Bean 4.2.2. We’ve already seen the press shots of the Moto X. Its back is built of Kevlar, a favoured material by Motorola in the latest Droid range. Motorola will also let buyers pick the colour for their smartphone, as well as engrave a messageon the back of the handset.

The Moto X in all of its thin-bezelled glory

LG Optimus G2
The Optimus G2, a successor to LG’s 2012 flagship Optimus G, is expected to launch on August 7. Recently, LG released a teaser video giving us a glimpse of the backside of the smartphone. The advertisement emphasised on “Learning from you”, probably hinting at some innovative, intuitive feature to give the user a personalised experience. The new G2 is likely to feature 5.2-inch 1080p display, back-mounted volume controls, 2610mAh battery, 13MP camera and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM. We’ve seen some leaked images of the LG Optimus G2, which give a good look of the device. The handset will be using on-screen buttons instead of LG’s tendency to use the three-button layout below the screen with the Home, Menu and Back buttons. LG has managed to narrow down the bezel on the G2 to almost non-existsent size. 

Samsung Note 3
The next iteration in Samsung’s popular Note series, the Note 3, is expected to be unveiled at the IFA held in September. Details leaked earlier this month strongly point at a 5.7-inch displayrather than the previously rumoured 6-inch one. Resolution-wise, the Note 3 should be coming with 1920 x 1080 pixels, which will give it a pixel density of 386 ppi. It may come in at least two different versions. While one version is said to come with a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor, the other version may sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3GHz. It is still uncertain if the device will run on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 or 4.3. It is expected to come with a re-designed body, but one may find the typical three-button setup that has become so ubiquitous on its phones. The Note 3 is also rumoured to come with a 13 megapixel camera with enhanced OIS capability, as well as a new S-Orb feature for shooting 360-degree panoramas.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Sony’s latest Xperia Z Ultra, slated to launch on July 31, is available for pre-order in India at Rs 44,990. The Xperia Z Ultra has gained a lot of buzz as it is the first device to sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 SoC, which is expected to bring a whole lot of power to the smartphone. It takes “phablets” to an altogether new level with its massive 6.44-inch display with 1080p resolution. It’s weather-resistant body does come with a microSD card slot under the flaps. It comes with an 8 megapixel primary camera and a 2 megapixel front shooter with Exmor RS for mobile, as well as HDR for both photos and film. It equips a 3000 mAh battery and runs on  Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2.

Xperia Z Ultra available for pre-order

Here's a quick look at what the Sony Xperia Z Ultra will be packing:

• 6.4-inch full-HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• 2GB of RAM
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, DLNA
• 8 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• 16GB of internal storage, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card slot

That looks like a sumptuous platter of smartphones set to take the markets by storm in the next two months.