5 smartphones we are looking forward to in 2020

Foldable screens, the return of the Moto Razr and the most anticipated smartphones of 2020. These are our picks

Foldable screens, the return of the Moto Razr and the most anticipated smartphones of 2020. These are our picks (REUTERS)

2019 was arguably insignificant for the smartphone industry. Sure, sales grew, more phones were launched and so on, but as reviewers, we struggled to see real innovation. And we don't see 2020 to be that different.

Having said that, 2019 did lay the groundwork for future improvements in smartphones, and that is what gets us excited about the phones we'll see in 2020. Here's what we are looking forward to:

Google Pixel 4a

(AP)

(AP)

Google didn't bring the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4XL to India, primarily because of the radar-based motion-sensing feature, a.k.a Project Soli. They will probably remove it entirely or deactivate it for the Pixel 4a if they are bringing it here. Also, given that the Pixel 3a was a more affordable Pixel, the Pixel 4a should be the same for this year's version, and that makes sense for India.

If the leaked renders are anything to go by, the Google Pixel 4a is going to be everything the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL had and then some. There should be a punch-hole selfie camera in the front, which technically means more screen real estate, but the top and chin bezels don't seem to have been reduced either, so we will have to wait and see. There's also the square camera module on the back along with a fingerprint scanner and the bright power button on the side.

The Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4XL had the square camera module too so we are expecting pretty much the same camera setup on the 4a, slight differences in how images are processed. Given the price cut, Google will have to reduce costs somewhere after all.

Pixel's photography chops have been above question, however, the Pixel 4 series did not fare too well when it came to reviews.

iPhone 12

(REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

Apple absolutely killed it with the Apple iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro. The company had lost its camera supremacy over Android for the past few years, but it returned to the helm in 2019. The battery life has also been significantly improved, another thing iPhones have not been known for.

Frankly, there was very little one could fault with the phones Apple launched in 2019, except the price. But complaining about Apple products being expensive is so last season, so let's not.

Given all this, we can't wait to see what else Apple adds to the iPhone 12.

In all probability, Apple will be launching a few other phones, like a successor to the iPhone SE, and the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro is on our radar alongside the new iteration of the iPhone SE. The latter will (hopefully) bring an affordable iPhone into the market, which, much like a cheaper Pixel will be much appreciated.

Apple brought down the price of the iPhone XR earlier this year, which helped push the smartphone to become one of Apple's best selling products ever, according to reports. If Apple sticks to this strategy in 2020 too, that will be something to look forward to.

Motorola Razr

(MOTOROLA)

(MOTOROLA)

The only reason my first smartphones was a Sony was because the Moto Razr wasn't available in the colour I wanted. This time, however, I totally intend to get my hands on the new iteration.

Motorola is bringing back that iconic phone as the new foldable Razr. This is going to be the first foldable offering from the house of Motorola and besides the immense nostalgia factor attached to it, the new form factor indeed looks interesting.

Perhaps most significantly, the new Razr doesn't look as bulky as the other foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold or the Huawei Mate X (speaking of which, we should see a new Mate X hit the markets in 2020) - it should be sleek, easier in the hand and, Motorola is confident enough to tell people it doesn't come with a million tips on how to use it…*cough* Samsung *cough*.

Motorola has already pushed the launch date back to meet demands. Clearly there is a lot riding on this smartphone and we are quite excited.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2

(BLOOMBERG)

(BLOOMBERG)

Samsung screwed up with the Samsung Galaxy Fold this year. Sure, it sold MANY units, I mean enough units for the company to think its foldable offering did well enough for them to plan a Fold 2 for 2020.

Rumour has it that the Fold 2 is going to come with an ultra-thin glass cover that will replace the plastic cover Samsung used on the Fold we saw this year. This should make the display flatter and with lesser wrinkles.

Samsung is also supposed to adopt a clamshell design, much like the foldable Razr. And it is apparently going to be cheaper too. If you haven't caught on already, lower prices excite us!

Xiaomi Mi Note 10

(BLOOMBERG)

(BLOOMBERG)

108-megapixel camera. Enough said!

The Mi Note 10 is probably going to be one of the most expensive phones from Xiaomi's stables that we have seen so far (it might be priced around ₹47,000) and is going to come with a penta-camera setup, consisting of a primary 108 MP camera, a 20 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, 12 MP telephoto sensor, a secondary 5 MP telephoto sensor, and finally a 2 MP macro camera.

Xiaomi is going to be the first of the lot to get a 108MP sensor on the back, because the smartphone is supposed to launch in January. One race won, at least.

And going by its record, the Mi Note 10 should have pretty much everything and the kitchen sink thrown at it, including a 5,260mAh battery, 30W fast charging support and more.