It's been a fun and busy year for Android phones, and as we reach the halfway point of 2024, it's the perfect time to take a look back at the phones that have already launched (like the Samsung Galaxy S24) and those that are yet to come (see the Google Pixel 9).
Maybe you've 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 phone, you'll want to know all about the latest models available, as well as be aware of upcoming models that might be worth your while.
We've split this article into two: the biggest phones that have been launched so far and the phones that are yet to come according to the latest leaks and rumors. If the latter is correct, the best is yet to come for Android phones in 2024…
Android phones in 2024: what have been the biggest launches so far this year?
The most notable Android phone launch in 2024 undoubtedly came from Samsung with its Galaxy S24 series. You can check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review to read all about the improved specs and new features that these phones brought.
These phones made the jump to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Exynos 2400 chipsets for 2024, and also brought with them a host of Galaxy AI features, spanning everything from image editing to live language translation to Circle and Search. Launched in January, these phones really set the tone for the year on Android.
The next biggest Android phone launch of 2024 arrived in May from Google – our Google Pixel 8a review tells you everything you need to know about this particular phone, which maintains some of the best parts of the Google Pixel 8 (like the Tensor G3 chipset, 8GB of RAM and numerous AI tricks) while cutting some expenses and costing significantly less than the flagship.
Continuing with the best cheap phones but opting for one that takes a rather different approach to its design and software, March saw us get another new phone from Nothing. As our review of the Nothing Phone 2a makes clear, this is a brand that is emerging as a genuine competitor to Google and Samsung, and that's likely to continue to be the case in the coming year.
As far as foldables go, it’s been a slow start to the year, but the new Moto Razr for 2024 (known as the Razr 50 in certain markets), unveiled at the end of June, has a lot going for it, including a great cover display, some funky color options, and a decent level of performance, too. Motorola launched its foldable phone just ahead of Samsung’s new foldable phones for 2024, which brings us to…
Android phones in 2024: what launches do we expect during the rest of the year?
Samsung has now confirmed another Unpacked event for Wednesday, July 10, and that's when we'll almost certainly see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Rumors so far suggest that the updates could be minimal, but they will use the same 2024 chipsets as the Galaxy S24 phones that preceded them. If there is a big update, it could come in the form of a new model, rumored to be called Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra.
What's (probably) coming next?
After that, we’re expecting at least two new phones from Google in August. The date has already been set for Wednesday, August 13, and the official event trailer appears to show off the Google Pixel 9 Pro. In addition to that phone and the Google Pixel 9, there’s also been talk of a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and even a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, aka the Pixel Fold 2 (we may have some work to do on our guide to the best foldable phones).
These are a lot of new mobile phones, and we believe they will arrive with Tensor G4 processors, more AI features and a number of camera improvements. Pixel flagships usually launch in October, so it seems that this year Google is keen to get ahead of the iPhone 16, which will launch in September.
But these aren't the only phones we're expecting before the end of 2024. The OnePlus 13 should go on sale before the end of the year, and considering that in our OnePlus 12 review we called this flagship “the most cool thing you can buy,” we can't wait to see what OnePlus has been working on these past few months.
There's plenty to look forward to in the second half of 2024, and no matter what your taste in Android phones, there should be something for everyone throughout the rest of the year. There's bad news if you're holding out for the Nothing Phone 3, though: the company has confirmed it'll be delayed and won't arrive until 2025.
