2022 has been a great year for phones, but the tech industry never sleeps, so we’re already eyeing 2023 handsets – and a lot of them are shaping up to be very exciting.
Leaks and rumors mean we’ve already heard a lot about key handsets such as the Galaxy S23 series and the iPhone 15 line, and they certainly rank among the most anticipated phones of 2023.
But there are also less obvious but no less exciting upcoming phones, from brands like Xiaomi, Sony and more.
So below you’ll find the phones we’re most looking forward to in 2023. These are phones that in most cases are likely to be great and, at the very least, should be interesting, unusual or innovative.
Galaxy S23
the Galaxy S23 and its siblings – including the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra – are likely to be the most popular Android flagships of 2023, and we expect to see them early in the year, probably in February.
Leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could have a monstrous 200MP camera, and every S23 model will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset all over the world, rather than some regions getting one Exynos.
Beyond that, their specs might not be a million miles from the S22 series, but expect camera and screen upgrades even when the base specs are similar. . You can see an unofficial render showing the supposed Galaxy S23 Ultra design above.
Google Pixel 8
the Google Pixel 7 launched only in October 2022, but he and the Pixel 7 Pro were so good that we can’t wait to see what Google cooks up for the Pixel 8.
So far we haven’t heard much about this phone other than that it will likely use a Tensor 3 chipset, support satellite communications and it could have 12GB of RAM, but we are expect state-of-the-art cameras and generally powerful software.
Stay tuned for more as the leaks and rumors are sure to start emerging in greater quantity as we get closer to the launch of the phone.
Folding Google Pixel
the Folding Google Pixel is a phone we’ve been hearing about for years, and more recently it’s been suggested that it might land in i.e. Q1 2023or May 2023.
According to rumors so far, the Google Pixel Fold could have a 7.6-inch foldable OLED display, a 5.8-inch cover display, and a Tensor – or more likely Tensor G2 – chipset. It could also look like the phone in the image above, sources say. shows the design of the Pixel Fold.
There’s disagreement over the cameras, but they could also impress, with just one leak pointing to a 64MP/12.2MP/10MP rear camera combination.
We’d take all of that with a pinch of salt for now, but this might end up being one of the few non-Samsung foldable phones worth getting excited about.
iPhone 15 Ultra
Obviously, the entire iPhone 15 lineup is hugely anticipated, but this is the intriguing talk of a iPhone 15 Ultra which excited us the most.
This phone could land in place of a rumored iPhone 15 Pro Max, and could have better cameras than even the iPhone 15 Pro, including a long-range periscope snapper, as well as a focus on duration battery life, a titanium frame, and a hefty price tag.
It probably won’t be released until September 2023 if it does land, but it’s a phone you might want to save up for, because the iPhone 15 Ultra could be extremely expensive.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is set to be Samsung’s next foldable flagship, but we don’t expect to see it until August 2023, so there’s a bit of time to wait.
As such, we don’t know much about it yet, but an early leak says it uses the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and has similar cameras to the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
If nothing else, expect it to have a large foldable screen so it can double as a tablet, coupled with an equally steep price tag.
Sony Xperia IV
the Sony Xperia I IV was one of the most interesting phones of 2022, thanks among other things to a continuous optical zoom camera. It’s a feature you won’t find on other brands, and it helped Sony’s flagship stand out from the crowd.
So far we haven’t really heard of the Xperia 1 V, but expect it to offer similarly unusual cameras, plus a big screen and flagship power – hopefully with some innovative surprises. Watch for mid-2023.
Xiaomi 13 Pro
The Xiaomi 13 Pro has actually already been announced, but so far it’s only available in China, with a global launch expected in early 2023.
This phone has a 6.73-inch 1440 x 3200 OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 4,820mAh battery with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and up to 12 GB of RAM.
It also has water resistance and a premium design as you’d expect, but the most exciting aspect of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is its cameras, which include a 50MP f/1.9 main camera with a large 1-inch sensor, which should help it take better photos than most phones.
It also has a 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera and a 50MP f/2.0 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. And if that’s not enough for you then we’re also talking about an even more successful Xiaomi 13 Ultraalthough we haven’t heard much about it yet.
OnePlus 11
The OnePlus 11 will likely land in the early months of 2023, and leaks suggest it won’t be joined by a standalone OnePlus 11 Pro – or rather, the OnePlus 11 will be the OnePlus 11 Pro in everything but its name.
So expect this phone to rival the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus or Ultra, despite the supposed lack of a Pro, Plus or Ultra suffix.
The leaks indicate a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, up to 16 GB of RAM, a 6.7-inch QHD + 120 Hz AMOLED display, a 5,000 mAh battery with 100 W charging, a 50 MP main sensor, a camera 48 MP ultra-wide photo and a 32 MP telephoto lens with 2x Zoom optics.
You can see what the OnePlus 11 might look like in the unofficial render above.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Besides the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, we’re also looking forward to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which is likely to be the better seller of the two, thanks to a more palatable price.
This upcoming foldable clamshell phone would use the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, have a 3.3 or 3.4-inch cover screen (compared to 1.9 inches on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4), and will have a less noticeable crease than the current model.
This all sounds very promising, but Samsung will have its work cut out to stay atop the clamshell foldable heap, thanks to stiff competition from Oppo and Motorola.
