2018 was a great year for phones. We saw huge leaps in the power of computational photography, cheap phones that look and feel like they could pass for a model three times the price, and glass designs as far as the eye can see.
Will 2019 top it? Judging by what's coming, quite possibly.
Next year we'll get 5G phones, the first true folding screen model from one of the big names, still more CPU power. And, with any luck, even more progress in phone cameras.
Here are the launches you need to watch out for in 2019 that will bring these goodies.
Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus
The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will be among the first flagships to launch in 2019
When? March 2019
Sure, by the end of 2019 we may end up recommending you buy a Galaxy Note 10 rather than the Galaxy S10. However, it's the Galaxy S10 we'll see first, and it will set the tone for Samsung's 2019 phones.
The big feature here is the follow-up to the notch. Instead of a lip on the top, screens will look as though they've been attacked with a hole punch. While you may be able to make fingerprint scanners that sit behind screens, standard camera sensors aren't designed to deal with that hurdle. That hole is needed.
It looks a bit odd at first glance. But hopefully once your eyes have adjusted it'll stop looking like someone has stolen a tiny portion of your OLED.
- Story so far: Samsung Galaxy S10 | Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Nokia 9
HMD Global could push the camera game to new levels on smartphones with five lenses.
When? Feb/March 2019
HMD Global has released some great, affordable phones in 2018 but we didn't really see a true flagship from the company this year but that is expected to change next year with the Nokia 9.
Expected to be the first phone with FIVE cameras on the back, the Nokia 9 could push mobile photography to new levels. Nokia championed phone cameras with its PureView technology back in the day and we won't be surprised to see it come back with a bang.
Other than the insane camera setup, the Nokia 9 is also expected to feature and in-screen fingerprint sensor and an 18:8 screen with no notch or punch holes.
Huawei P30 Pro
The Huawei P20 Pro was great, but we want even more from the P30 Pro
When? March/April 2019
If you're not impressed by Huawei's phones these days, you should be. After the amazing P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro in 2018, the Huawei P30 Pro is right near the top of our 'most wanted of 2019' list.
The big question is where Huawei can go next with its camera technology. Early reports suggest it will use a 38-megapixel main camera sensor, the Sony IMX607. However, it will be tough to improve the already-great low-light image quality of the P20 Pro.
From a user experience point of view, though, perhaps speed rather than a drastic image quality change is what Huawei wants. The P20 Pro can take up to 6-7 seconds to shoot a low-light photo. If it can bring that down to a second or two, the P30 Pro will be even more fun to use.
Motorola Moto G7 and G7 Plus
The Moto G6 is one of the best budget phone of 2018, so the Moto G7 will have its work cut out
When? March/April 2019
We're in the recommendations game. As much as we love new and exciting tech, telling you which phone, laptop, speaker or graphics card to buy is perhaps our most important job. And that's why the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus are so important.
Motorola's G-series phones may not be the flashiest around, but each year since 2013 they've offered some of the best value choices for those after a phone that works well and doesn't cost too much.
The Moto G7 is expected to have a small teardrop notch, to fit more display onto its front, and have at least two cameras on its back.
- All the latest news and rumors: Moto G7 | Moto G7 Plus
Honor 11
Bringing flagship features to more affordable prices
When? May 2019
Honor has been on a roll with flagship phones such as the Honor Magic 2 and the Honor View 20 already announced. These phones feature high-end specs and are on the higher side of pricing as well.
But Honor is known to bring high-end features at competitive prices and thus, we are excited what comes to Honor 11 (or Honor 20, whatever the company decides to call it.)
Expect some of the features from the current Honor flagships to trickle down to the Honor 11 such as a teardrop notch or a punch hole display along with upgraded cameras- all wrapped up in a package that oozes premium.
Samsung Galaxy X
The foldable Samsung Galaxy X could be the most exciting phone of the year
When? Mid-2019, TBC
The top candidate for strangest phone of 2019 is an easy one to call. It's the Samsung Galaxy X, the foldable phone rumored for half a decade. And it is almost here.
A prototype version of what is presumed to be this foldable monster was seen in 2018 at the Samsung Developer Conference.
It's effectively a vehicle for Samsung's Infinity Flex display technology, the OLED panel and folding mechanism and makes such a futuristic-looking design possible. OK, so it's "2002-era futuristic", but we still want to give it a try.
You effectively get a phone-shaped handset with a screen on the outside that can open up to reveal a tablet-size display. It's one way to let a phone take on the serious jobs you might otherwise use a laptop for. One snag: it's likely to be hugely expensive, enough to make the Galaxy S10 look cheap.
OnePlus 7
The OnePlus 6T added an in-display fingerprint scanner and a smaller notch
When? Before end of May 2019
OnePlus thrives on "leaks" and teasers rather than carefully keeping them to a tight pre-release schedule. And we already know the next OnePlus phone, which may be called the OnePlus 7, will have 5G mobile internet.
It will make it one of the first to offer 5G mobile internet. And unless you live in a country with some of the best mobile network infrastructure in the world, it also likely means that extra speed won't be meaningful for a while.
Still, shiny new things still shine. OnePlus let this tease out at Qualcomm's Snapdragon conference in December 2018, suggesting the phone will use the Snapdragon 855 CPU. You can expect existing OnePlus goodies too, like an in-screen fingerprint scanner and, probably, largely glass build.
The one snag is the price. OnePlus has suggested the 5G version of the OnePlus 7 will be $300 more than the norm, so let's hope there's a 4G version for us mere mortals too.
iPhone 11 and 11 Max
The iPhone XS and XS Max were incremental upgrades, so we're hoping for big things from the iPhone 11
When? September
As ever, it'll be months before we see anything vaguely reliable leaked about the next iPhone. Apple likes to keep its surprises fresh for the big day, and that big day isn't until (most likely) September.
The roll call of current spurious suggestions about what the iPhone 11 will be like include a pop-up camera module, a TouchBar display on its side and an iPad Pro-like stylus.
We don't believe a word of it, but we're happy to be proved wrong.
Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have some of the best cameras on a phone - how will the Pixel 4 improve?
When? October
It's too early for any major Pixel 4 leaks. But some references to 2019's upcoming 'first-party' Android have already appeared. Product codenames were spotted in the ARCore developer kit. This is what developers use to make Android AR apps.
"Bonito and Sargo" may be the behind-the-scenes names for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. This also suggests they may have next-generation augmented reality abilities.
Such a feature would work in Google's favor, as it may well mean they have something rivals around at the same time lack. Also, here's to hoping that Google finally, officially releases the Pixel series in the Middle East.
- Read our in-depth reviews: Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3 XL
Huawei Mate 30 Pro
The Mate 20 Pro turned out to the best phone in 2018- can Huawei follow it up next year with the Mate 30?
When? October
Huawei has had one hell of a year in 2018 with the P20 Pro and the Mate 20 Pro which are easily the best phones of this year. The Mate 20 Pro really pushed the boundaries of what phones are capable of and thus a lot will be riding on the Mate 30 Pro when it's released late next year.
It's too soon to tell, and we'll be honest, we really have no idea what Huawei will bring with the Mate 30 Pro considering the current model already has all the bells and whistles that phones will be rocking in 2019, but it is Huawei's flagship product so expect the unexpected.