Best Upcoming Smartphones of 2026

If you think smartphone progress has stalled and everything has become boring and uninteresting, we will try to change your mind in this article. We are talking about the most anticipated new products of 2026. This list includes both flagships and budget-friendly models. We will tell you what makes these future gadgets remarkable and how they benefit the average user.

iPhone 18 Pro – Main Camera with Variable Aperture

We will predictably start the list of anticipated smartphones with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. Big changes, including a new design, are expected in the Apple lineup only in 2027 for the series’ twentieth anniversary. However, 2026 won’t be boring either. Those who prioritize photo and video quality should be especially interested.

The iPhone 18 Pro will be the first Apple smartphones to receive a camera not with a fixed, but with a variable aperture. It will work like the pupil of the human eye, narrowing in bright light and widening in the dark.

This innovation is a rumor, but it is confirmed by serious insiders like analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who have provided accurate information in the past.

Presumed look of the iPhone 18 Pro based on data from The Information.

Instead of the current single f/1.8 value, the user might get a range of f/1.4–f/4.0 or even wider. Is this important for improving shooting quality? Very important. Primarily for video, as well as for shooting in poor lighting conditions.

• Quality. Daytime video will become more cinematic, significantly reducing the strobe effect (judder) when the shutter speed has to be shortened due to excess light.
• Sharpness. Autofocus will find it easier to maintain sharpness. Shooting moving people and objects will improve significantly, and close-ups will be more convenient.
• No Distortion. Aberrations, halos, and other optical distortions are reduced. Again, sharpness will be easier to achieve across the entire frame.
• Cleaner and Brighter. When switching to f/1.4, the camera itself will be able to capture up to 65% more light, which will noticeably reduce digital noise and graphical artifacts.
• No Blurry Photos. In poor lighting, people and objects in motion will be blurred much less often in photographs.
• Bokeh Effect. Among other bonuses: a real, not software-generated bokeh effect and significantly greater variability when shooting.

Let’s be honest – variable aperture in a smartphone is not an Apple invention. Samsung flagships used to have this, and now Huawei and some other brands feature it. Samsung, however, abandoned this idea many years ago; additionally, the aperture range and the sensor itself on those older Korean models were significantly inferior.

Variable aperture operation in the Nubia Z70 Ultra flagship.

As for other innovations in the iPhone 18 Pro, we have dedicated a separate large article to them.

Expect a smaller screen cutout, two-nanometer processors, six-channel RAM, an improved portrait camera, 8K video recording, significantly expanded satellite communication functions, and, if we’re lucky, finally a silicon-carbon battery.

Galaxy S26 Ultra – The “Magic” CoE OLED Screen

In the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra flagships, besides the built-in stylus, there is another unique feature – the most advanced anti-reflective glass in the industry, Gorilla Armor. It was created by Corning exclusively for Samsung and noticeably improves screen readability, especially outdoors on a sunny day.

Reflection comparison: Galaxy S25 Ultra (bottom) and OnePlus 13. Photo: Android Central.

In the upcoming S26 Ultra model, a major innovation awaits the flagship’s screen itself: it will switch to CoE OLED technology. These are new generation displays that do not need a traditional polarizing layer. Instead of technical details, let’s list the advantages:

• Brightness. The screen will be able to output noticeably higher brightness, which is especially important for good content visibility in bright sunlight.
• Energy Efficiency. Energy consumption can be reduced by up to 30%, which clearly has a positive effect on the overall battery life of the smartphone.
• Compactness. Since the screen lacks an “extra” layer, it becomes slightly thinner, allowing the gadget itself to be made a bit thinner and lighter.
• Colors. Color reproduction improves, colors become more stable and less prone to distortion at different angles.
• Contrast. Additional glare reduction and a more natural, deep black color are possible. With good ambient lighting, the picture may look more contrasting.
• Effect. Icons, interface, and content you see on the screen feel more natural, as if they are right under your finger, rather than somewhere deep down.

Besides CoE OLED, Samsung may add Privacy Display technology to the future flagship. It will protect the screen from prying eyes. Only you will be able to see certain content, not strangers trying to peek from different angles.

In early 2026, the rumor received confirmation. Insiders believe that such a feature cannot be implemented by software methods alone: a special display is needed, and that is allegedly exactly what will be in the S26 Ultra.

The current flagship model Galaxy S25 Ultra. Photo: Tech Advisor.

The newcomer is also credited with a main camera featuring significantly improved optics (variable aperture?), charging power increased from 45 to 60 watts, slightly reduced thickness, and a front camera with an expanded field of view.

Samsung is also preparing a major update for its built-in neural networks and AI capabilities.

Honor Win and Win RT – 10,000 mAh in a Compact Body

Silicon-carbon batteries are an area where both Apple and Samsung have managed to lag seriously behind Chinese manufacturers.

The new batteries are by no means a marketing trick: they are quite real, and the technology is gaining momentum, now reaching the 10,000 mAh mark. Smartphones with batteries of similar capacity existed on the market before, but those were bulky gadgets nearly two centimeters thick.

Honor Win and Win RT became the first smartphones to offer a true 10,000 mAh in a regular, compact body. Their thickness is only 8.3 mm. This is thinner than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max, which has a battery capacity of around 5000 mAh. Both new Honor devices were announced at the very end of 2025 and will likely hit global sales in early 2026.

Honor Win and Win RT in dark body execution.

The 10,000 mAh capacity is enclosed in a battery with very high energy density. New silicon-carbon batteries are also good because they perform more stably in freezing temperatures. Rapid discharge from the cold, common in regular batteries without silicon, does not occur in them.

Besides the mAh count, Honor Win and Win RT can boast other hardware. They feature flagship Snapdragon processors. Qualcomm’s naming conventions can confuse anyone, but let’s try to explain. The Honor Win features the current flagship – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This is currently the most powerful mobile processor on the market.

In turn, the Win RT model should cost significantly less and will receive the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This is the flagship chip of the previous generation, but it still offers plenty of performance.

In addition to huge batteries, Honor Win and Win RT have two other very strong “highlights”:

• Screen with 185 Hz refresh rate. The smartphone interface operation with such a display should look especially smooth. The gadget also has a record PWM frequency of 5920 Hz. This is important for reducing eye strain.
• Active cooling system, i.e., a built-in miniature fan. This is a rare and important feature. Thanks to it, the processor can maintain performance for much longer than usual without throttling during games and various complex tasks.

Honor placed active cooling next to the cameras.

They didn’t skimp much on cameras. Both devices received a 50 MP main module with a large 1/1.56″ sensor format, supplemented by optical stabilization. The ultra-wide-angle camera also supports autofocus, which opens up the possibility of macro shooting.

We also note IP68 water protection and ultrasonic fingerprint scanners that are not afraid of dirty or wet fingers.

Specifically, the older Win model differs from the Win RT by the presence of wireless charging (80 watts), as well as a third rear camera. This is a telephoto lens with a resolution of 50 MP and honest optical zoom 3x (6x lossless zoom).

Both devices with such a set of characteristics are not cheap, but still should be more affordable than the Honor Magic series flagships. This is especially true for the Win RT model, the price tag of which is expected to be about one and a half times lower than the base version of the Magic 8.

Honor Power 2.

For those who need something even cheaper, Honor announced the Power 2 model alongside Win and Win RT. The battery capacity there increased to 10,080 mAh, but other characteristics became simpler. The release of all three gadgets globally is probable but not officially confirmed yet.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 – Elegant and Affordable

“Who said an affordable smartphone has to be ugly?” thought Xiaomi, and in late December 2025, they released the Redmi Note 15 (4G) model. In early 2026, the smartphone may officially reach international markets.

Recall that standard Redmi Note models are among the top best-sellers globally. Now the device will look noticeably more attractive.

If the base Redmi Note 14 model unpleasantly surprised with “thick” bezels on all sides, the Redmi Note 15 is the complete opposite.

The bezels have become thinner, and on the sides, they are now covered by a curved screen. Previously, this was found only in more expensive models. Ergonomics connoisseurs are unlikely to like this innovation, but connoisseurs of beauty will be pleased.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 (4G).

By the way, the OLED screen not only “pushed out” the bezels around it but also became better. It is larger: 6.77″ instead of the previous 6.67″. Peak brightness has grown to 3200 nits instead of the previous 1800. In other words, the display will be better visible in the sun.

The refresh rate remains the same – 120 Hz, but the PWM frequency has increased from 960 to 3840 Hz. Theoretically, this should reduce eye strain.

Other innovations:

• Battery 6000 mAh instead of 5500 mAh.
• Symbolically reduced thickness, width, and weight.
• Enhanced water and dust protection from IP54 to IP64 (still cannot be submerged in water).
• Slightly updated processor.
• Option with 512 GB of storage in addition to 128 and 256 GB variants.
• (Presumably) Support for memory cards up to 2 TB instead of the previous 1 TB.

The main camera is still based on the large Samsung HM6 sensor (108 MP, 1/1.67″), but, alas, again lacks optical stabilization. Among the disadvantages, we also note the disappearance of the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 (4G). Photo: GSMArena.

If you search for the gadget in any catalog in the future, do not confuse it with other Redmi Note 15 models that feature 5G support. These are models for different markets; they have a similar design but noticeably different characteristics. Be attentive and ensure you are looking at the specific version relevant to your region.

Oppo Find X9 Ultra – A Spyglass in Your Pocket

Find X9 Ultra is the most powerful anticipated smartphone in the Oppo brand’s assortment. The announcement will most likely take place in March 2026.

Much is known about the gadget thanks to insiders. We are looking at a contender for the title of the ultimate cameraphone of 2026. The cameras will be the “highlights” of the gadget.

The main one, presumably, is a large Sony LYT-901 sensor with a resolution of 200 MP. This is the newest and very technological matrix announced by the Japanese company in November. Most likely, it has a very high dynamic range. Also, this is the first 200 MP execution by Sony; in all previous years, such sensors were released only by Samsung and OmniVision.

Current model Oppo Find X8 Ultra.

The second camera in the Find X9 Ultra – surprisingly and for the first time on the market – is also 200 MP. This is a telephoto lens intended for close zoom and portrait shooting. It will supposedly use the OmniVision OV52A sensor. In addition to resolution, the sensor boasts a large size of 1/1.28″. This is smaller than the main camera with its 1/1.12″, but for a telephoto lens, it is extremely large.

So having two 200 MP cameras at once is not only a record purely by numbers but also a real benefit for the user:

• First, the matrices have a large area and collect a lot of light.
• Second, high resolutions noticeably increase variability when shooting.

The third camera is an ultra-wide-angle with a resolution of 50 MP. But the fourth rear camera is a real surprise. It will allegedly also receive a resolution of 50 MP and honest 10x optical zoom, i.e., a focal length of about 230 mm.

Recall that honest 10x in recent years was offered perhaps only by old Galaxy S Ultra flagships. However, with the S24 Ultra, Samsung abandoned this unique feature, and all smartphones now offer no more than 5-6x of real zoom.

Moreover, the S23 Ultra model used a tiny 10 MP sensor with an f/4.9 aperture for 10x zoom. These are very weak figures. Oppo can offer a noticeably more advanced option.

Oppo Find X8 Ultra.

Otherwise, the mighty set of Find X9 Ultra cameras will be complemented by a laser autofocus system, a sensor for improving color accuracy, as well as optics and algorithms developed with the help of the Swedish company Hasselblad.

Realme Note 80 – Return of the Budget King

This is the only smartphone on our list for whose release we are simply hoping. No real information about its existence has been received yet.

Let’s explain briefly. In January 2024, Realme launched a new series of ultra-budget models called Realme Note. The first device in it was the Note 50. In August of the same year, the Note 60 was released, and in December – the even more affordable Note 60x.

The devices became true best-sellers in many markets, offering a surprisingly acceptable set of characteristics for a very low price. Additionally, unlike many smartphones at a similar price point, Realme gadgets have full Android installed, not the feature-stripped Android Go system.

Realme Note 60x.

However, difficulties begin with the Realme Note line afterwards. In the summer of 2025, the company released the Note 70 and 70T. But they have not yet officially reached many regions. The base model of the series turned out to be simplified compared to the Note 60 in terms of the main camera and costs more. And we couldn’t find the Note 70T on sale even unofficially in some places.

Good news: in the Note 70, instead of 5000 mAh, Realme started installing powerful batteries of 6000 and 6300 mAh. Considering the HD screen and simple processor, the gadget’s battery life should be decent.

Let’s hope the Note 80 models offer some more innovations, bring back the high-resolution camera, and most importantly – become officially available globally.

Why is this smartphone so important? In our opinion, this is not just another “budget phone” with a set of impermissible compromises, but one of the best solutions on the market in terms of price/capabilities ratio.

Despite the ultra-budget status, Realme did not skimp on installing a gyroscope, a compass (magnetic sensor), a real proximity sensor, basic protection against water splashes, and a processor with ARM A7x cores in the series. This needs to continue.

Realme Note 60.

Realme 16 Pro+ – Universal Cameraphone Without Obvious Weaknesses

If flagship prices frankly scare you, but you still want a powerful cameraphone, take a look at the Realme 16 Pro+ in 2026. The presentation of the Realme 16 line took place on January 6, and the Pro+ model became the crown of this series. The gadget may appear globally in the coming months.

Notably, there was simply no Pro+ version in the Realme 15 lineup, but now the top model is returning. This is a worthy cameraphone that can be bought at a price significantly lower than flagships, but at the same time, it has no frankly weak points in terms of characteristics.

Users can expect a main camera with a resolution of 200 MP based on a large Samsung HP5 sensor, supplemented by an optical stabilization system. In recent years, Realme relied on sensors with a resolution of 50 MP, but now decided to switch to 200 MP. Photo quality won’t become directly better just from this, but shooting variability will be higher.

Realme 16 Pro+.

Roughly speaking, 200 MP allows simulating various focal lengths, as well as optical zoom up to 4x due to the huge resolution of the sensor. This is not as good as real optics, but much better than digital “stretching”. With 50 MP, the possibilities would be noticeably more limited.

An already traditional “highlight” of Pro+ versions is the telephoto camera. It is needed for zoom and high-quality portrait shooting.

Unfortunately, regarding the telephoto lens in the Realme 16 Pro+, the company took a step back and now uses a Samsung JN5 sensor sized 1/2.76″ instead of the larger Sony IMX882 sensor (1/1.95″) found in previous Pro+ models.

On the other hand, the zoom has become slightly more powerful: the focal length increased from 73 to 80 mm. That is, honest magnification is now about 3.5x.

Realme 16 Pro+.

In the gadget review, GSMArena journalists note that both the main camera and the telephoto lens in the Realme 16 Pro+ work surprisingly well regarding photo shooting. Additionally, the telephoto lens has become better adapted for macro photography and can focus from a distance of about 35 cm. The Realme 14 Pro+ required about 60 cm for this, which is almost unsuitable for macro.

Another strong side of the Realme 16 Pro+: 4K@60 FPS video recording on both the main and front cameras. This is an impressive combination for a non-flagship model.

Finally, aiming to make a relatively affordable cameraphone, Realme did not cut other parameters. The gadget received a powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, a 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, as well as an advanced OLED display with high resolution and peak brightness up to 6500 nits.

Realme 16 Pro+.

The honest full-screen brightness of the device, according to GSMArena tests, is 1794 nits. This is not a record, but a very high figure for smartphones. For comparison, the Realme 14 Pro+ in the same test produced “only” 1168 nits.

In complex battery life tests, the Realme 16 Pro+ lasted 18 hours and 18 minutes. The Realme 15 Pro, which also has a 7000 mAh battery capacity, withstood 17 hours and 4 minutes in testing. And the Realme 14 Pro+ with its 6000 mAh – 14 hours and 10 minutes.

Note that at launch, the price of the Realme 16 Pro+ is unlikely to please those looking for specifically an inexpensive device. However, later on various platforms, especially during sales, the price may drop noticeably.

Vivo X300 Ultra – The Main Camera “Sees” Like a Human

If we talk about the most breakthrough cameraphones on our list, we already mentioned the Oppo Find X9 Ultra model above. Strong competition could come from the X300 Ultra by Vivo. Both devices might be announced tentatively in March 2026. The gadgets will compete for the title of the first smartphone with two 200 MP cameras.

Current model Vivo X200 Ultra. Photo: Vopmart.

Overall, Oppo is expected to have four rear cameras (200+200+50+50 MP) and a bet on particularly powerful long-range zoom. Vivo X300 Ultra, judging by leaks, will get three rear cameras and at first glance looks more modest: 200+200+50 MP. However, it’s not about megapixels and the number of cameras. Vivo will have at least 5 serious distinctive features:

• Main camera with a focal length of 35 mm. This is roughly how the human eye sees the world. Compared to regular cameras in smartphones, this is something between the main camera and an auxiliary telephoto lens.
• Gimbal OIS stabilization for the main camera. Noticeably more powerful than traditional OIS, it can compensate for three times higher shaking, as well as rotation/tilt of the phone around its axis.
• Huge ultra-wide-angle camera based on a matrix four times (!) larger than most competitors, and supplemented by optical stabilization, which other manufacturers almost never use for “ultra-wides”.
• Best-in-industry sensor for color accuracy. At least, that is what insider Digital Chat Station claims. The resolution will be 5 MP versus 2 and 1.5 MP in analogs in Oppo and Huawei flagships. Such a sensor is a valuable feature; it should not be confused with useless 2 MP “plugs” installed in cheap smartphones.
• Optics and algorithms from Zeiss. This is a long-time partner of Vivo – a major German company specializing in cameras, lenses, coatings for them, and optics in general. Today Zeiss is much larger than Leica and, especially, the Swedish Hasselblad.

Let’s explain the first point in more detail. The main camera with a focal length of 35 mm has a number of advantages over the usual 23–24 mm found in most smartphones today.

A camera with a 35 mm equivalent focal length is capable of showing people and objects with almost no geometric distortion, just as we are used to seeing them in real life. Body and face proportions are not violated.

35 mm is better suited for photographing people and portraits as it cuts out the unnecessary. Such a camera also has a noticeably better bokeh effect, it finds it easier to separate the object from the background, and there will be less stretching at the edges of the frame. Additionally, sometimes you won’t have to get too close to the subject.

Vivo X200 Ultra. Photo: Vopmart.

Finally, 35 mm sets an increased base for further crop zoom, especially if the camera resolution is 48 MP and higher.

Vivo X300 Ultra is not the first smartphone with a 35 mm camera. Before it, there were other powerful models from Vivo itself and from ZTE Nubia. However, in the X300 Ultra, Vivo wants to combine such a focal length with a resolution of 200 MP and a large new matrix from Sony for the first time. We are talking about the LYT-901 sensor of 1/1.12″ format. It is more than 30% larger than previous best solutions for 35 mm.

Disadvantage of 35 mm: difficulty in covering large-scale scenes, panoramas that require a large viewing angle.

This problem in Vivo will be solved for the second year in a row by a huge ultra-wide-angle camera of 1/1.28″ format with OIS. It is four times larger than the 1/2.6″ sensors used in current iPhone Pro and Galaxy S Ultra models. Such a gap in sensor area promises strong advantages in various areas, especially significantly improving evening and night shooting.

New Experiments from ZTE Nubia

From ZTE, and especially from their subsidiary brand Nubia, we are not waiting for a specific smartphone. Instead, we are waiting for literally everything they show. Almost every device in the Nubia assortment is something unique in terms of characteristics.

Nubia Z80 Ultra. Photo: GSMArena.

Speaking of flagships, take a look at the Nubia Z80 Ultra. The gadget has an aesthetic and design unlike anything else, the highlight of which is the front camera hidden under the screen.

No current smartphone on the market has this right now. ZTE began working in this direction a long time ago and improves the under-display “front camera” with each generation.

ZTE was also the first to experiment with a focal length of 35 mm, which eventually captivated Vivo as well. They were the first to teach a smartphone to record video in 8K resolution. In its gaming series Red Magic, Nubia started experimenting with active cooling many years ago, and in 2025 even arrived at water cooling.

In inexpensive models, ZTE experiments with ultra-powerful speakers, mechanical camera control buttons, touch triggers for games, and even 3D screens.

ZTE Nubia Music 2. Photo: MovilZona.

Undoubtedly, it is interesting where the manufacturer, who loves experiments, will move next. Keeping previous years in mind, ZTE may show some new products as early as January–February.

One of them will be the gaming smartphone Red Magic 11 Air, the announcement of which is scheduled for January 20. Unlike the Pro models, the gadget will receive last year’s flagship chip instead of the current one, but the price of the device may drop by 20–30%.

The Air version from Nubia, by the way, was released last year too, but then it did not have active cooling. But the novelty, according to preliminary data, will offer a built-in fan, proprietary design with an under-display camera, and a battery increased to 7000 mAh.

Next, ZTE/Nubia will likely visit the MWC 2026 exhibition in early March, where a whole series of announcements can be made. And before the end of spring, we expect an update to the Z Ultra cameraphones and Red Magic Pro gaming models.

Honor Robot Phone – One of the Most Unusual Smartphones of 2026

If 10,000 mAh in Honor Win seemed like too little to you, then Honor has saved an even more impressive surprise for 2026.

We are talking about the Honor Robot Phone model; it was briefly shown in October 2025, and details are promised to be revealed at the MWC exhibition in March 2026. The gadget has two rear camera units at once. One is regular, and the other is flip-up, controlled by a miniature folding robotic “arm”.

Honor Robot Phone.

Why? There are two meanings: practical and aesthetic. The practical one is mainly related to shooting. The gadget’s camera, it turns out, is not tied to one point. It can “look” left, right, up or down, follow an object, move away and approach. And all this without human intervention, whose hands constantly shake imperceptibly.

The novelty can theoretically serve as a miniature tripod, a movable webcam, sometimes replace a selfie stick or an action camera.

Additionally, such a camera can change angles, tilt angles, as well as orientation from landscape to portrait and back by itself. Everything should be complemented by a stabilization system and a set of other features that Honor will talk about in more detail in March.

Honor Robot Phone.

The aesthetic aspect will likely appeal to children and lovers of originality. Judging by what Honor has already shown, a little “soul” has been added to this moving camera.

It can act like a real robot, make sounds, “nod” to the user as if communicating with them, look around, point at things or the direction of movement.

Otherwise, the device is a regular smartphone in which Honor will surely install an advanced silicon-carbon battery. Curiously, this whole mechanical structure can fold and merge with the rest of the camera block, covered by a special shutter. In other words, the gadget won’t look too pretentious.

Also, the shown images make it clear that the device, besides the moving camera on the back, will have two more regular ones. One of them is a periscope for long-range zoom and portrait shooting. The system will be complemented by a ring flash.

Honor Robot Phone in the “folded” state.

Hisense A10 – Half a YotaPhone with Modern Internals

Hisense is a large Chinese company with more than 80,000 employees. It specializes in televisions, projectors, various household and audio equipment, including expensive high-end models.

But with smartphones, the brand has a complicated situation. Currently, the assortment mainly features extremely budget, controversial models. In the old days, Hisense tried to stand out with smartphones featuring E-Ink screens (electronic ink). There were models in the style of YotaPhone with a regular and black-and-white screen, models only with E-Ink, and models with color E-Ink.

Hisense A9.

The company’s last such smartphone (A9) was released in 2022, after which the idea seemed to have vanished. Fortunately, as our colleagues report, Hisense decided to try again.

The new gadget will be called A10 and is expected in the summer of 2026. The A10 will have one electronic ink screen, but whether it is color or black-and-white is still unknown. What makes these displays good?

• Huge battery life. The screen is the main client of a smartphone battery. E-Ink consumes radically less energy than IPS and OLED. The user gets battery life increased up to several times.
• Static image does not drain battery. Another E-Ink feature, also about autonomy. If there is little dynamic content on the screen, but, for example, static widgets with time, weather, maps, then battery life grows even more. E-Ink does not need energy to “hold” the picture; it spends charge only on updating it.
• Very good visibility in the sun. The screen of a regular smartphone on a bright sunny day becomes hard to read or maintains readability only by cranking brightness to the maximum with parallel battery discharge. E-Ink, on the contrary, often looks better in the sun, almost does not glare, and does not drain the battery more than usual.
• Comfort for eyes. E-Ink does not emit its own light into your eyes but reflects external light. As a result, you can read for a long time and strain your vision less. Additionally, there is no blue light emission from the screen itself, which can disrupt human sleep and circadian rhythms.

Hisense A9.

• No typical OLED screen problems. E-Ink usually does not have PWM flickering, which can also tire eyes and cause headaches. Also, E-Ink does not burn out, unlike OLED, even over a very long time. In other words, such a display is durable.
• Image remains on screen even at 0% battery. E-Ink smartphones can work for a very long time, but eventually, the battery will run out. And here appears the option to “freeze” the final image. It can be a mini-map, transport schedule, QR code, any note, or whatever.
• Looks like paper and feels the same. Besides visual advantages, a smartphone with E-Ink often offers a unique tactile experience, where instead of a slippery surface, there is a pleasant and slightly rough one (provided there is a matte coating).

The key downside of electronic ink is that due to picture quality and low refresh rate, you cannot fully watch movies, videos on social networks, or play games on them.

However, for some, this might even be a plus. The smartphone turns, rather, into a work tool instead of a window for constant distraction by content consumption.

Hisense A7 CC with color E-Ink screen.

It would be naive to believe that such a device will become a sales hit, and yet it will find its niche, like vinyl record players.

Tech enthusiasts, reading lovers, and those for whom battery life is critical might well be interested. By the way, the old Hisense A9 was also notable for surprisingly advanced sound (ESS Sabre ES9318).

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026 – Affordable Model with Built-in Stylus

For any smartphone for a very modest sum, you can buy a stylus imitation. However, if you need a digital pencil with a thin tip, truly fast response time, settings, and integration with the smartphone, things are complicated.

Apart from folding and various specific models, currently, only two main brands globally release smartphones with an advanced stylus built into the device itself. These are Samsung with their Galaxy S Ultra and Motorola with Moto G Stylus. The latter cost 3–4 times cheaper than Samsung flagships, making them an interesting proposition.

Current model Motorola Moto G Stylus 2025.

Initially, the Moto G Stylus line was intended for the US and was cut down in characteristics. In recent years, new generations of the device have noticeably transformed, becoming more pleasant both externally and functionally.

For the 2025 model, Motorola stated that it increased stylus responsiveness by more than six times (although it likely still falls short of the S-Pen from Samsung).

Additionally, there is no rigid restriction to the US anymore. Availability varies by region, but they can often be found on various online platforms globally.

Major portal Android Headlines reports that Moto G Stylus 2026 is already being prepared for release. There are no technical specifications yet, but there is a first image:

Presumed design of Motorola Moto G Stylus 2026.

Motorola again uses its recognizable modern design. This is pleasant-to-touch artificial leather on the back panel, colors from the Pantone catalog, and a soft curve around the camera block. Android Headlines notes that this time even the side frame colors match the back side so that there is more harmony in appearance.

However, the main thing is the stylus. It is quite advanced in Motorola, a compartment for it is provided right in the smartphone body, and the gadget is closely integrated with it via software and hardware. A stylus in a smartphone is far more than just drawing and handwritten notes.

• With a stylus, it is much more convenient to work on articles and spreadsheets, neatly select and move text fragments, and correct errors.
• The stylus does not block the screen as much as fingers, it is much more precise and leaves no marks behind.
• In the cold, you won’t have to remove gloves or use special ones.
• Depending on settings, you can take quick notes without even unlocking the screen.
• It becomes noticeably easier to edit photos, screenshots, make captions and annotations.

From the point of view of other characteristics, even the current G Stylus 2025 model is quite good. Here is a bright (1870 honest full-screen nits) OLED screen, a main 50 MP camera based on a large Sony Lytia 700C matrix with OIS, an “ultra-wide” with macro shooting support, and IP68 water protection. It is curious what Motorola will be able to offer in the next generation.

Current model Motorola Moto G Stylus 2025. Photo: PhoneArena.

Foldable iPhone and Other Foldable Models

Foldable smartphones are a convenient thing but still an extremely expensive pleasure. Therefore, we will talk about them only briefly. The main expected event in the foldable device market in 2026 is the appearance of a foldable iPhone. The link leads to our large material collecting all known information.

Along with itself, the folding Apple model will bring at least two big trends in which other manufacturers will also try to succeed.

The first is getting rid of unpleasant creases in the center of the screen. They have haunted foldable smartphones since their inception and look unappealing. Allegedly, in the foldable iPhone, such a crease will not be visible. Moreover, famous insiders like Mark Gurman claim that it will somehow not be perceptible even to the touch.

Crease in Galaxy Z Fold 7 screen. Photo: PhoneArena.

Samsung, however, will not stand idly by and will release the Galaxy Fold 8 a few months before the foldable iPhone launch. There might also be no crease in the center of the screen there. Why? Because screens for the iPhone clamshell will be supplied by the same Samsung, and they are unlikely to give a competitor such a strong advantage without keeping up.

The second trend is a partly new form of folding devices. Now the entire market focuses on Fold and Flip models. Fold has an elongated outer screen and an almost square inner one. Flip is the opposite.

Apple will go another way, where there will be neither elongated nor square screens. As a result, it will become easier to type on the external display, and it will be more comfortable to watch videos and play games on the internal one.

Concept of a foldable iPhone, created based on numerous leaks.

According to insiders, the market is preparing in advance to respond to Apple’s actions, and a whole group of manufacturers, including Samsung, intends to release similar devices.

By the way, several such devices have already been released. These are Pura X from Huawei (Spring 2025) and Find N/N2 from Oppo, which went on sale in 2021–2022. Oppo, it turns out, anticipated the new form factor, but already decided to be like the rest in Find N3.

Instead of a Conclusion

The volume of this material is quite large, but we still managed to fit not everything.
For example, flagship models one after another will gain hardware support for LOFIC technology for cameras, which will significantly expand the dynamic range. This means that cameras will finally stop being “blinded” by bright light sources and will not massively lose details even in very high-contrast scenes.

For instance, Xiaomi recently debuted the 17 Ultra model, where LOFIC is combined with a huge 1″ format main camera sensor. This is a very strong combination. The same 17 Ultra model featured a periscope telephoto lens with variable focal length, which, considering its matrix characteristics, is unique for the market.

Visual illustration explaining why cameras need LOFIC and the associated wide dynamic range.

The ceiling of compact batteries at 10,000 mAh, set by Honor, is not with us for long. Realme wants to take the 15,000 mAh bar, and these are not dreams, but real prototypes that can turn into a concrete smartphone by the end of 2026.

Such “magic” is possible thanks to a thoughtful increase in the percentage of silicon in new generation batteries.

Also, insiders report upcoming models with a screen refresh rate of over 200 Hz. More smartphones combining promising CoE OLED and Tandem OLED technologies in a single screen will appear – the effect can be very impressive.

Minimization of bezels will likely reach new heights. The phrase “bezel-less smartphone” for some models may stop being purely advertising by the end of the year.

For a more distant perspective, we note cameras with a global shutter (a huge advantage for video recording), continuous stepless zoom for telephoto lenses, and, of course, gadgets with rollable screens.

Prototype of a rollable smartphone from Tecno, shown a few years ago.

The latter, with their versatility, may overshadow current folding models. A major obstacle for rollable smartphones was batteries, but as silicon-carbon batteries develop, this limitation weakens.

In other words, progress in various hardware has by no means stopped. It is ongoing and, it seems to us, doing so even faster than before. Although 2026 is still ahead, as you can see, there is already quite a lot of information, and it evokes cautious optimism.

Change log of this article:

• 05.01.2026 – first version of the material.
• 17.01.2026 – clarified charging power in Galaxy S26 Ultra, changes in Realme 16 Pro+, and presence of a multispectral camera in Vivo X300 Ultra. Also added mention of Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and other small corrections to the text. Removed information about Motorola Signature, as stylus support in it, contrary to early leaks, was not confirmed.