It’s been a fun, busy year for Android phones – and with 2024 almost halfway through, there’s a good chance to take a look at the devices that have already launched (like the Samsung Galaxy S24) and those that are still on the way (see: the Google Pixel 9).
You may have missed or completely forgotten about some of the best Android phones of 2024 so far. And if you’re in the market for a new handset, you’ll want to know all about the latest models available – and educate yourself on upcoming models that might be worth waiting for.
We’ve split this article into two: the biggest phones launched so far, and the phones yet to come according to the latest leaks and rumors. If the latter is true, the best is yet to come for Android phones in 2024….
Android phones in 2024: What were the biggest launches so far this year?
The most talked-about Android phone launch in 2024 has undoubtedly come from Samsung with its Galaxy S24 series. Check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review to read all about the improved specifications and new features that these devices brought with them.
These phones made the jump to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Exynos 2400 chipsets for 2024, while also bringing with them a stack of Galaxy AI features, covering everything from image editing, to live language translation, to Circle to Search. Launched in January, these phones really set the tone for the year in Android.
The next biggest Android phone launch of 2024 came from Google in May: our Google Pixel 8a review tells you everything you need to know about this particular phone, which takes some of the best bits of the Google Pixel 8 (like the Tensor G3 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and tons of AI tricks) while cutting some corners and costing significantly less than the flagship.
We’ll stick with the best cheap phones, but opt for a phone that takes a very different approach in its design and software. In March we received a new phone from Nothing. As our Nothing Phone 2a review makes clear, this is a brand that’s emerging as a real competitor to Google and Samsung, and will likely continue to do so for the next year.
It’s been a slow start to the year when it comes to foldables, but the new 2024 Moto Razr (known as the Razr 50 in some markets), unveiled in late June, has a lot going for it – including a big cover display, some funky color options, and a decent level of performance, too. Motorola released its clamshell phone just ahead of Samsung’s new 2024 foldable phones, which brings us to…
Android phones in 2024: What launches can we expect for the rest of the year?
Samsung has now confirmed another Unpacked event for Wednesday, July 10, and we’ll almost certainly see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 at that event.
The rumors so far suggest the upgrades could be minimal, but they will use the same 2024 chipsets as the Galaxy S24 phones that came before them. If a major upgrade does come, it could come in the form of a new model, rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra.
What (probably) comes next…
After that, we expect at least two new phones from Google in August. The date has already been set for Wednesday, August 13, and the official teaser for the event appears to show the Google Pixel 9 Pro. In addition to that phone and the Google Pixel 9, there’s also talk of a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and even a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, aka the Pixel Fold 2 (we might still have some work to do in our best foldable phones guide ).
That’s potentially a lot of new devices, and we think they’ll come with Tensor G4 processors inside, even more AI features and some camera upgrades. The Pixel flagships are usually unveiled in October, so it seems like Google is keen to get ahead of the iPhone 16 this year, which is due out in September.
Those aren’t the only phones we’re expecting before the end of 2024. The OnePlus 13 is supposed to drop before the end of the year, and since we called that flagship “the coolest phone you can buy” in our OnePlus 12 review, we’re excited to see what OnePlus has been working on over the past few months.
That’s enough to last us into the second half of 2024, and regardless of your taste in Android phones, there should be something for everyone for the rest of the year. There’s bad news if you’re waiting for the Nothing Phone 3, though: the company has confirmed that the release will be delayed and won’t arrive until 2025.