The Best Upcoming Smartphones in 2014: From the Samsung Galaxy S5 to the BlackBerry Q30
This holiday season has been relatively quieter for smartphone rumours because all major manufacturers have already launched their best devices in the hopes of bigger sales from now towards the end of the year. In January 2014, the rumour mill will once again kick into high acceleration at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), followed by the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February.
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5S, Moto G, Nokia Lumia 1020, LG G2 and the BlackBerry Z30 are all out, what's there to expect? Well, there are still more mysteries and rumours about possible smartphones we'll keep an eye on over the next couple of months. Check out the list of top upcoming handsets below. Expect the list to change and grow after the aforementioned trade shows early in 2014.
BlackBerry Q30
If BlackBerry continues to sell phones, the next two major devices may be the QWERTY keyboard-toting Q30 and the larger, touchscreen phone Z50. Just like how fans found the Q10 to be more exciting than the Z10, the Q30 seems to excite the users more with its niche keyboard. According to the rumour mill, the Q30 might be released in Q2 of 2014 at the BlackBerry annual developer conference in May. With John Chen as the new CEO, Thorsten Heins' Q30 is already in question, but he could still release these phones or just scrap it and turn BlackBerry into a software company.
HTC Two (M8)
With the flagship HTC One turning a year old, it's now time for an upgrade. The HTC Two is speculated to have a SnapDragon 800 processor, 4 MP Ultrapixel camera and a 5-inch 1080p screen very similar to its predecessor HTC One. This will likely run Android 4.4 KitKat and the latest HTC Sense OS skin version.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Rumour has it that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be released on Q1 of 2014 with its metal frame, octa-core 64-bit Exynos processor, bigger or curved HD screen, and 16 MP camera. Expect to hear more about how Samsung's cameras and TVs will work together with its phones in the coming year.
LG G Flex
The LG curved smartphone may actually be the first curved screen device to hit the market but it's more than just being the first - it actually has a purpose. The curved screen reduces reflection, making images more visible. Hopefully the G Flex comes out Q1 of 2014 with its promising features, such as a SnapDragon 800 processor, 6-inch 720p screen, 13 MP camera, and a self-healing coat that fixes scratches by itself.
Amazon Phone
Amazon is working on a smartphone but confirmed that it wouldn't release one in 2013. Rumour has it that the company will produce one or two handsets in 2014, and one of them might sport a simulated 3D UI that follows the user's head position. Amazon says it won't come for free but might be sold at moderate cost at the very least. It could be a phone version of the new Fire OS with Mayday customer service and simple interface. The Amazon Phone is speculated to be announced in March, skipping the early trade shows of next year.