The last of 2014’s big Android phone reveals are done, so now it’s time to look forward to 2015. All the top OEMs are cooking up new devices, and we’ll be seeing a few of them sooner than you think. If you can resist those holiday deals, big things await you next year, but who has time to keep up on the rumors? We can clarify things a bit.
Not only are there updated versions of some top phones on the way, but a completely new kind of phone is on the horizon too. Here’s everything you need to know about.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung didn’t see the kind of response it wanted from the Galaxy S5. In fact, some reports claim its sales were 40% below expectations. The Korean company knows it needs to win back the fickle consumer, and that should make for a very interesting Galaxy S5 announcement this spring.
There have been a few leaks of supposed specs for this device, but the most plausible relate to a Samsung device with the model number SM-G925F. According to benchmarks for this device, the Galaxy S5 will have Android 5.0, a 5.5-inch 2560×1440 AMOLED screen, a 64-bit octa-core Exynos ARM chip, 3GB of RAM, 20MP camera, and 32GB of storage. The Exynos chip will probably be replaced with a Snapdragon in US markets, though.
The true test of Samsung’s resolve will come in the build quality, which was one of the knocks on the Galaxy S5. It’s not that it was a fragile phone, but the fully plastic frame didn’t feel very premium. The Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha (seen above) were steps in the right direction, but the GS6 can take Samsung the rest of the way there.
We’ll probably see the reveal of this device in early Spring at a Samsung Unpacked event. However, it’s also possible Samsung will try to get the jump on competitors by showing it off at Mobile World Congress in February.
HTC One M9
The HTC One M8 was a great phone, save for a few irksome choices, like the mediocre Ultrapixel camera. The HTC One M9 (code named Hima) is supposed to offer a nice upgrade over the M8. According to the latest batch of rumors, HTC is going to stick with a 5-inch 1080p LCD instead of going to QHD. The upshot of this being that battery life will be vastly improved. The device will again have a sealed-in battery rated at 2,840mAh.
It should also be running an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (64-bit), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and maybe most importantly, a 20.7MP camera. The Ultrapixel used for the last two years has been questionable at best, and the Duo Cam was little more than a gimmick. HTC has great image processing software, though. Seeing it paired with a solid sensor is going to be exciting.
HTC has been impressing with its build quality as of late, so the M9 is sure to blow us away once again in this department, and Sense 7 with Android 5.0 should be a nice update with HTC’s slick aesthetic.
