Proper on the finish of 2025, I dismissed the previous 12 months as “a boring 12 months in tech” and “a boring 12 months for telephones”.
All I needed for 2026 was a telephone that excites me. We’re now midway by means of the 12 months. So, how are we doing?
Not nice, to be brutally sincere. The AI-induced reminiscence pricing disaster has made life tough for producers and costly for shoppers, leading to a worrying conservative streak within the newest smartphone releases.
There’s loads of purpose for hope, although. The second half of 2026 appears to be like set to provide a few of the most fascinating telephone releases in years.
Listed below are the 5 telephones I’m most excited to get my palms on over the following few months.
iPhone Extremely
I’m not significantly a foldables man, and I’m particularly not a book-style foldables man. However I do respect the efforts which are being made to push the format ahead, and the Motorola Razr Fold is my shock hit of the 12 months to date.
when Apple makes a transfer within the smartphone enterprise, it tends to affect the route of the whole trade
As such, the telephone I’m most to see within the second half of 2026 is the iPhone Extremely. Whether or not you want the corporate’s work or not, when Apple makes a transfer within the smartphone enterprise, it tends to affect the route of the whole trade.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Whether or not you plan to purchase Apple’s first-ever foldable telephone or not, its success (or in any other case) will decide the form and capabilities of no matter foldable telephone you do select to purchase over the approaching years.
I may also see lots of sense in Apple’s closely rumoured strategy right here. In adopting a stubbier 4:3 side ratio (allegedly), the corporate is producing an ultra-portable iPad as a lot as an iPhone foldable. There’s lots of sense in that, as any iPad proprietor will attest to.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8/Large
From a sure angle, Samsung’s by-now confirmed (albeit in a roundabout means) intention to pre-empt the iPhone Extremely with its personal wider foldable might be considered as cynical.
the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is tipped to weigh in at simply 201g. That’s nicely into ‘regular’ or non-foldable territory
Nonetheless, I’m excited to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (because it’s confusingly set to be known as), and never for its anticipated boxier 4:3 side ratio.
Samsung made nice strides ahead with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, making a full-sized foldable that was means thinner and lighter than earlier than.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Now, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is tipped to weigh in at simply 201g. That’s nicely into ‘regular’ or non-foldable territory.
Once I mentioned that I’m not a foldables man within the earlier entry, a big a part of that comes all the way down to how clumsy and unwieldy these items are to make use of day after day. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 may go a way in the direction of addressing that.
Nothing Cellphone (4b)
As I mentioned within the intro, cell phones are boring, and low cost funds and mid-range telephones much more so. One reasonably priced telephone ran counter to that narrative in 2025: the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional.
Dad or mum firm Nothing has introduced that it isn’t making a follow-up in 2026, however it’s doing one thing simply as fascinating. Probably extra so.
Nothing
Because the identify suggests, the Nothing Cellphone (4b) will align far more intently to the broader vary, adopting the corporate’s signature semi-transparent design and novel Glyph LED notification system.
If the London-based firm can get its pricing proper (a tough activity on this local weather) and proceed the nice work completed with the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional, this might be one of the thrilling telephones of the 12 months – at any value.
Google Pixel 11 Professional
This hasn’t been a very nice 12 months for Google’s Pixel smartphone model. The Google Pixel 10a was a cynically repurposed Pixel 9a, whereas the large Android 17 replace appears to have launched a complete bunch of glitches to the sequence.
Maintain a gun to my head and demand that I select one Android telephone…I’d most likely go for the Google Pixel 10 Professional
If something, that makes me all of the extra to see what the corporate has in retailer for its subsequent flagship telephone.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
Maintain a gun to my head and demand that I select one Android telephone to make use of for the remainder of the 12 months, and I’d most likely go for the Google Pixel 10 Professional. I’m a sucker for compact telephones, whereas Google’s clear UI, Qi2 charging, and the Pixel digicam expertise are all main wins.
Now fold in studies of all-new digicam {hardware} (lastly) and a model new LED lighting system on the again (certain, why not), and the Google Pixel 11 Professional mechanically turns into one among my most anticipated telephone launches of the second half of 2026.
OnePlus 16
This one’s a distinct form of pleasure. The ‘rubbernecking on the motorway’ variety that leaves you feeling slightly responsible afterwards.
We don’t actually know what’s occurring with the OnePlus model, however we will say with some confidence that it’s not good. Studies are rife that mum or dad firm Oppo is exploring methods to decrease and finally wrap up what’s turning into a decreasingly related sub-brand.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
And but, that sub-brand nonetheless appears to be asserting new merchandise, and a OnePlus 16 flagship telephone is reportedly nonetheless on the playing cards for late 2026.
I wasn’t as large a fan of the OnePlus 15 as many have been, due to its considerably generic design and degraded digicam providing. But it surely was (and stays) a complete stamina champ, and was truly cheaper than its predecessor – a undeniable fact that appears more and more outlandish as 2026 grinds on.
We don’t actually know what’s occurring with the OnePlus model, however we will say with some confidence that it’s not good
I’m fascinated to see what the follow-up has to supply – and if we’ll even see one on this nation.
As you may see, regardless of an underwhelming 2026 for telephones to date, there’s loads to sit up for over the following few months. Lots of the telephone highlights of the 12 months are probably between now and the top of the 12 months, and I for one can not wait to see what’s in retailer.