As we draw closer to the end of 2018, smartphone makers want to go out with a bang. There are a number of smartphone launches lined up for the coming weeks to indicate consumers will be spoilt for choice when they plan to buy their next smartphone. From triple rear camera setups to some that set a new benchmark for the mid-range segment, there’s plenty of announcements expected from multiple brands.
The most notable announcements include Realme U1, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Honor 8C, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Oppo R17 Pro. The Realme U1, Mate 20 Pro from Huawei and Honor 8C will be launched this week while the Oppo R17 and Zenfone Max Pro M2 from Asus will launch next month. All these devices will hope to win consumers who would be planning upgrade to a new smartphone for this new year celebration. Here is a look at all the major devices that you should look for in the coming weeks.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro launch on November 27
The first major launch this week will be Mate 20 Pro, the flagship smartphone from Huawei. This is the first time that China’s leading smartphone maker and world’s second largest smartphone maker, is bringing its Mate series to India. The Mate 20 Pro arrives after strong sales for the P20 Pro, the first smartphone with triple camera setup.
The Mate 20 Pro builds on P20 Pro with metal and glass design and has a 6.39-inch edge-to-edge OLED display with Quad HD+ resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels. The smartphone is powered by Kirin 980 SoC, a 7nm chipset with 5G capabilities and is aided by 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage.
It has triple rear camera setup with 40-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a 20-megapixel ultra wide-angel camera. All these cameras are powered by Leica technology and Huawei has added new features like AI Video and under water mode. There is also a 24-megapixel selfie shooter and features both in-display fingerprint sensor as well as facial recognition. It runs Android Pie based EMUI 9.0 and is backed by a 4,200mAh battery with support for 40W super charging and 15W fast wireless charging.
Realme U1 launch set for November 28
This could well prove to be the biggest smartphone launch in the recent months. The Realme U1 will be the world’s first smartphone powered by MediaTek Helio P70 chipset and is being dubbed as selfie-centric smartphone. The Realme U1 will join Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro and Realme C1 in the product portfolio.
The leaks so far suggest that Realme U1 will compete against Redmi Note 6 Pro from Xiaomi. The leaks already show it score more than Redmi Note 6 Pro in benchmarks and could be priced around Rs 15,000. We will know more in two days when Realme makes the device official.
Honor 8C launch on November 29
Honor 8C will be the newest mid-range smartphone from Huawei’s e-brand and it will be a Snapdragon 632-powered device. Ahead of its official launch, we know that this device will be exclusively available on Amazon India.
The Honor 8C was launched in China in September and is now coming to India. It is expected to arrive with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage and feature a 6.26-inch notched display with HD+ resolution. It is expected to run Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
Oppo R17 Pro with triple camera to launch on December 4
Oppo R17 Pro seems to be the most interesting of the pack since it takes a direct hit at Huawei’s flagship devices. It features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display with a teardrop notch, a Snapdragon 710 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. It even comes in a gradient finish but the real deal is its camera setup.
There is triple rear camera setup with primary 12-megapixel sensor supporting variable aperture from f/1.5 to f/2.4. There is a second 20-megapixel camera for depth sensing and a third camera aids in 3D depth mapping. At the front, there is a 25-megapixel camera for ultra wide-angle selfies. It features an in-display fingerprint sensor, runs Android Oreo and is backed by a 3,700mAh battery. Like Huawei, it also supports SuperVOOC fast charging capable of up to 50W.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 launch on December 11
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 will be the most potent threat to Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 6 Pro. The company showed it can challenge Xiaomi with Zenfone Max Pro M1 early this year and now it is ready to challenge Redmi Note 6 Pro as well. It is expected to feature a notched display and a new design that seems as if there are triple cameras on the back.
It is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage. The Zenfone Max Pro M2 will run Android Oreo and could stick with 5,000mAh battery seen on its predecessor. There is not much known about its camera features but leaks indicate dual 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel on the back and a 13-megapixel selfie shooter.
