Full-screen iPhone XI, OnePlus7 likely to light up 2019

Two of the highlights of a frenetic 2019 for mobile phone launches are likely to be possible full front-screen iPhone XI and OnePlus 7.

There is also a buzz about the first 5G handsets hitting the markets, with Qualcomm and Huawei HiSilicon ready with the Snapdragon 855 and Kirin 990 chipsets respectively, but a handset launch is unlikely given that the networks may not be ready. But there will surely be a flood of 4G models.

DH looks at a few handsets that have been announced or rumoured for release this year. The specifications and release dates mentioned may change at the time of actual release.

Honor View 20
This offering from the Chinese company Huawei was announced in December last year and is up for pre-booking now. This set is powered by HiSilicon’s Kirin 980 chipset, the first 7 nanometre offering in the market. Huawei had released the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro with this chipset.

The most stunning feature of this phone is the notch display 6.4 inch screen. There is just one punched hole for the front camera.

The top variant is 256 GB memory with 8 GB RAM. There is also a 128 GB version with 6 or 8 GB of RAM.

The main camera is a 48 MP one and the front camera is 25 MP. The phone has a USB Type-C connector and a 4000 mAh battery and the pricing could be around Rs 40,000.

Samsung M Series
Amazon India has listed it for launch on January 28 but is not disclosing too much.

Looking at its rumoured specifications, it may not be a very expensive phone and Rs 15,000 is the expected price. Talk is that it could be powered by the Samsung Exynos octa-core chipset. It could be available in variants of 32 and 64 GB internal storage, 3 GB RAM and a microSD crad slot.

The main camera will have 13 and 5 MP sensors, while the front camera is expected to be 8 MP. It is also expected to have a Type-C connector and a 5000 mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy S10
The Korean phone company has confirmed launch of the S10, but there are conflicting reports that it will be a 5G phone. There are reports that it will be launched in India as well.

Speculation is rife that it will get the Snapdragon 855, which can handle 5G. Whether the flagship phone will be introduced with the 855 chipset is unknown.

The S10 will get a 6.1 inch screen with the hole punch front camera. The phone is likely to get 16 and 12 MP cameras.

There may be a choice of 6 or 8 GB RAM and 128/ 256/ 512 GB of internal storage. The pricing still remains unknown.

Nokia 9 Pureview
It looks like this is Nokia’s best model thus far. Though its launch has not been confirmed, there are reports that it will sport a Snapdragon 845 chipset and have a 5.99 inch screen.

The most interesting feature of this phone is the five-camera setup at the back and Zeiss optics. The front camera is expected to be a 12 MP one. Stunning looks are the result of a glass and aluminium body.

The phone is expected to have 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM with two SIM slots and the second one to be a hybrid slot. The set will have a Type-C connector and also a 4150 mAh battery.

The estimated price is around Rs 60,000.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
Already launched abroad, this Snapdragon 845-powered phone is likely to hit Indian shores by the end of the month.

The Mix 3 does not have a memory card slot but has 256 GB memory and 8/ 10 GB RAM and the other variant has 128 GB and 6/ 8 GB.

It has a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED screen and is surrounded by a glass front, aluminium frame and ceramic back. There are 12 MP wide angle and 12 MP telephoto cameras at the back. The front has a mechanical pop-up 24 MP camera and a 2 MP depth sensor.

The battery is 3200 mAh and the price is expected to be around Rs 45,000.

OnePlus 7
Leaked images of this Chinese manufacturer’s 2019 phone suggest that the entire front will be a display and that suggests a mechanical pop-up camera.

There is also talk that the phone will have the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset and possibly 8 GB of RAM.

iPhone XI
Again, leaked images of the 2019 iPhone show that there will be a full front screen and three main cameras. There is talk that it will have the next generation WiFi 6 technology.

Whether it will have 5G will have to be seen.