Five new Android phones you won’t want to miss in | Tech News

Unless Apple actually does release a foldable iPhone in 2026, it’s comparatively simple to predict what type of iPhones we’ll see this yr. You can most likely count on an iPhone 18, 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, with a potential replace to the iPhone Air. Exciting for iPhone followers, however there’s far more selection on offer once we look forward to what the yr holds for new Android phones.

From Samsung to OnePlus through Motorola and Google, the great world of Android means there are a number of producers making some of the best phones on the market at a price level to fit your wants and price range.

Whether you want essentially the most succesful, feature-filled handset doable or one which ticks each box on a practical stage however doesn’t require a loan to buy, there’s something for everybody when it comes to Android phones.

As we start 2026, I’m trying forward to 5 thrilling Android phones we both know are coming this yr or count on to see at some stage. Each guarantees to push the envelope ahead and offer one thing new, however whether or not or not they fulfil their promise is one other factor. It’s fairly tough to show true yr over yr upgrades in smartphones these days, which is nice as a result of you don’t need to improve as typically, however does considerably take away from new telephone anticipation.

Despite that, listed below are the 5 Android phones I’m most excited for in 2026, and why, listed in the chronological order I count on them to launch.

Honor has been teasing its flagship Magic 8 Pro since November, so at this stage it appears as if it’ll launch in the UK someday in January. I used to be very impressed with the 7 Pro, which had true 3D face unlock (few Android phones do), very succesful cameras and considerate AI perks the place different manufacturers stuff ineffective instruments in for no cause.

But I hope the Magic 8 Pro dials down the AI in the digital camera. The 7 Pro had a mode that used AI to fill in (learn: make up) particulars when you zoomed previous 30x which I didn’t take pleasure in. It spoiled the vibe on an in any other case very succesful handset. Honor has the chance to push the 8 Pro as a actual different to the Galaxy Ultra and newest OnePlus handsets if it might strike the precise stability – and the precise price. £1,099 for the 7 Pro was sadly a powerful sell in opposition to more acquainted names.

I cherished the cameras on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, so I’m very eager to take a look at out the 17 Ultra, which is anticipated to attain the UK in 2026 (Xiaomi skipped 16 to match the iPhone’s present quantity). If you want a digital camera in your pocket that occurs to have a telephone hooked up, that is the road to go for.

The partnership with Leica and the use of high high quality digital camera sensors paired with excellent software program processing has meant the 15 Ultra is one of the best digital camera systems ever on a telephone. I’m not fairly sure how the 17 Ultra may be demonstrably higher. Like the Honor, it’ll most likely get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is able to hopefully improve battery life comfortably for 2 days of use to keep you snapping masterpieces effectively into the weekend.

Though Google will nearly definitely release the Pixel 11 collection in 2026, I’m more eager to see what it might do with the Pixel 10a. The mid-range A-series has at all times been of superb worth, and the Pixel 9a was my favorite telephone of 2025, particularly given it’s typically on sale for significantly much less than its £499 RRP.

The Pixel 10a will doubtless get the Tensor G5 chip that you’ll discover in the £1,000+ Pixel 10 Pro line, and the primary digital camera is mainly nearly as good as any telephone on the market for point-and-shoot satisfaction. Google additionally carried out battery magic with the 9a, a telephone I can simply get two days out of earlier than reaching for a charger. I hope the Pixel 10a stays with its comparatively small 6.3-inch screen too. Aside from a telephoto lens, the 10a most likely gained’t lack something anybody actually wants in a telephone in 2026, with a 120Hz screen, full waterproofing and wi-fi charging doubtless to proceed from the 9a.

While I’m eager to see how Samsung can reinvent its Galaxy S26 Ultra to be a little more fascinating, and whereas I used to be very impressed with the svelte Galaxy Z Fold 7 in 2025, the Samsung telephone I’m most eager to see improve is the Galaxy Z Flip 8. The flip telephone foldable has taken a back seat in the final couple of years to headline-grabbing book-style folding phones, however the flip may win my coronary heart this yr if Samsung can double down on higher battery life.

The Z Flip 7 continued the nice work of the Flip 6 with a bigger cowl show so you can run full apps and ship messages with out flipping it open, but it surely scaled back the ability by choosing an Exynos chip reasonably than Snapdragon. Fine, however that wants to include excellent battery life in 2026, or the Flip 8 may not make sense if it continues to price more than £1,000.

OnePlus went rogue and launched the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 15 in 2025 (skipping the 14), two excellent high-end Android phones. The 15 reinvented the design of the firm’s units totally, going with flat screen and flat sides like most of its rivals. But the true improve was the battery life – I obtained three days from a single charge with the OnePlus 15, utterly altering how I considered charging my telephone. It’s a true recreation changer.

A disgrace then that the remainder of the telephone is a little boring, and the cameras aren’t as spectacular as I’d hoped, doubtlessly because the firm no longer works with Hasselblad. If the OnePlus 16 does make an look in 2026, I hope OnePlus can tweak its superb cameras up to great, and it’ll be very exhausting for me not to suggest the telephone because the best on the market – particularly if it might stay at £849, which is a excellent price for the 15 when Samsung nonetheless expenses £1,249 for the Galaxy S25 Ultra.