In the ever-twisting saga of the Android phone market in 2024, Samsung led the early charge with the Galaxy S24 series, launching with pomp, upgraded specs, and a suite of AI delights. The spotlight on the S24 series revolved mainly around its leap to new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Exynos 2400 chips which stepped up performance benchmarks. These devices, splashed into the market in January, have seemingly set a high bar for competitors, both in terms of tech and timing.
Moving beyond just premium, the Android scene also shimmered with more budget-friendly stars. May introduced the Google Pixel 8a, a thrifty sibling maintaining some flagship features like the Tensor G3 chipset, but at a slashed price. Meanwhile, Nothing Phone entered the fray with the 2a model in March, rivaling with unique design ethos and software tweaks. The foldable niche wasn’t left behind either; Motorola debuted their Razr 2024 at June’s end, boasting a snazzy large cover display and new color schemes, hinting that the foldable market might slowly be unfolding its potential.
Looking towards the horizon of the second half of the year, anticipation bubbles for Samsung’s Unpacked event in July, rumored to showcase the next generation foldables – Z Fold 6 and the Z Flip 6. Google isn’t laying low either, with an August event that might reveal not just the Pixel 9 series but possibly a Pixel 9 Pro Fold, pushing forward the foldable frontier. Amid these giants, OnePlus plans to stay in the conversation with potential late-year surprises. However, for those holding out for the next offering from Nothing, a minor heartbreak – Nothing Phone 3 has been pushed to 2025.
**Hot Take**
If these phones were any hotter, you’d need oven mitts to text! 2024 is turning into a gold rush of Android innovation, with every manufacturer seemingly trying to out-feature, out-fold, or out-budget each other. Keep your popcorn ready – we might need to throw a retirement party for chargers if this keeps up. And as for the Nothing Phone 3 delay, guess it’s turning into the ‘Waiting for Godot’ of smartphones.
Original Article: https://www.techradar.com/phones/the-biggest-android-phone-launches-of-2024-so-far-and-whats-coming-next