Highlights:
LG G7 - Potential January 2018 launchNokia 9 - Potential 19 January 2018 launch
Samsung Galaxy S9 - Potential February 2018 launch
Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini - Potential February 2018 launch
Sony Xperia XZ1 Premium - Potential February 2018 launch
Huawei P11 - Potential February 2018 launch
HTC U12 - Potential May 2018 launch
Google Pixel 3 - Potential 4 October 2018 launch
Mi Mix 3 - Potential October 2018 launch
If you're in the market for a new phone your choices available right now are pretty good, but it's always the way that as soon as you take the plunge and upgrade something better comes along and you regret your decision. In this article we outline the phones that will be released in 2018 to help you decide whether or not to wait.
Google Pixel 3
Huawei P11
Tipped for February's MWC tradeshow, the P11 will be successor to the company's current flagship, the P10.
In common with the Mate 10 it will likely get the Kirin 970 chip, which Huawei claims delivers 25 times better CPU performance and 50 times greater energy efficiency.
Very little is known about the P11, but rumours suggest it could copy sister company Honor's latest flagship and ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack.
LG G7
The LG G6 (pictured) hasn't been around for long but there are already some rumours emerging about the next model.
It's thought that the firm will release the LG G7 as early as January 2018 pegging the launch at CES 2018. This would give it a head start against major rivals such as the Galaxy S9.
Another rumour suggests that LG is already wroking with Qualcomm and the G7 will be the first with its new Snapdragon 845 processor.
Microsoft Surface Phone
Microsoft's Surface Phone has been the stuff of rumours for more than two years, and only a couple of months ago we believed all hopes were dashed with news that Microsoft was killing Windows Phone.
But the company has filed fresh patents for a foldable mobile device, reigniting rumours on the possibility of a Surface Phone. It's still no more than a maybe, making estimating a release date impossible. But if the Surface Phone does eventually see the light of day, we could see a foldable phablet to rival the Galaxy Note X.
Nokia 9
The new Nokia 8 is now on sale but we're still waiting for an announcement on the Nokia 9, which is expected to be the more exciting of the two. Rumour has it the big reveal could be coming on 19 January.
The Nokia 9 was thought to be an upgraded version of the Nokia 8 with a larger 5.7in 18:9 display and an extra 2GB of RAM, but the latest leaked images show a standard 16:9 display.
We should see a dual-camera - potentially 13Mp with separate RGB and monochrome sensors. A 13Mp selfie camera may also be found at the front. This is the setup seen in the Nokia 8, which also boasts Bothie photos - snaps that combine images from the front- and rear cameras to create a fuller picture.
Also new in the Nokia 8 is 360-degree Ozo audio recording, which we're sure will also make its way to the Nokia 9.
The Nokia 9 is thought to be the flagship in Nokia's Android phone family, and as such will likely run the 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 GPU, plus 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Samsung Galaxy S9 & Galaxy S9+
The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be the biggest and baddest of the phones announced in 2018, continuing to perfect what have so far shaped up to be the best phones of 2017.
New in both models is likely to be the 7nm Snapdragon 845 or 8nm Exynos 9810 processor, with a dual-lens rear camera on the Plus, and fingerprint scanners embedded into the Infinity display.
Performance will definitely get a boost, and we might see Samsung finally go above the 4GB of RAM seen in the company's previous flagships. The design is not likely to change significantly, and hopefully neither will the price.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Mini
You may have read rumours about a Galaxy S8 Mini. However, as we approach the Galaxy S9 release date it's looking more likely that if such a phone exists it will be the Galaxy S9 Mini, not the Galaxy S8 Mini.
There's very little to go on right now, but one mobile leakster has suggested Samsung is working on a 5in screen phone with a full-screen Infinity Display.
It sounds a lot like a potential Galaxy S9 Mini, but it could equally be an update to the Galaxy A series. We'll have to wait and see.
Samsung Galaxy Note X
The bendable phone will finally become a reality in early 2018 if rumours are to be believed. Samsung is allegedly going to ship 100,000 units of its Note-branded Galaxy X foldable phone in the third quarter of this year, though expect it to be expensive.
The Galaxy Note X, previously known as Project Valley, is thought to be a smartphone with a dual-screen (one on each side) that folds out to reveal a 7in tablet. An 8in tablet that folds up into a 5in phone has also been rumoured.
Snapchat Smartphone
Okay, let's be honest here, we're not actually entirely convinced that a Snapchat smartphone will ever exist, let alone become a reality in 2017. We think it more likely the company is working on a connected camera, but there is certainly talk of a Snapchat phone.
Should a Snapchat smartphone come to reality it will likely be the ultimate selfie phone, and perhaps the first phone to feature a 360-degree camera.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Premium
Sony is thought to be unveiling the Premium version of its Sony Xperia XZ1 at February's MWC 2018 trade show, would place its launch date as 25 February 2018.
The phone will likely launch alongside the Sony Xperia XZ1S and another Sony phablet, the latter with a 5.7in 4K display and an 18:9 'bezel-less' design.
Less is known on the core hardware, with contradictory sources claiming it will feature the Snapdragon 835 or 845, 4- or 6GB of RAM and 64- or 128GB of storage. Our money is on the former, since Samsung may well be again holding the exclusive on the new Qualcomm chip.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
We're still a long way from the potential Mi Mix 3 release date (likely October 2018), but it seems Xiaomi is already working on the new device if a leaked image of a rear panel is anything to go by.
This may be nothing more than a prototype, but if it sees the light of day we will see a Mi Mix with more rounded corners than ever, and a vertical dual-camera and central fingerprint scanner at the rear
