The smart ones: Look out for the 2014 brigade

Samsung

The New Year is just a couple of weeks away and 2013 has seen an unending line of smartphones entering the market. Some of them tried to make their way into our pockets, while others were a wee bit heavy on our pockets. There were hits and there were flops. Come 2014, there will be a new brigade of smartphones that will fight it out to make it big in the market. Here’s a sneak peek into what is in store.

Samsung Galaxy S5
We kick off with the Galaxy S5. Rumours are that Samsung might finally do away with the usual plastic body and deliver a flagship with a metal frame. Powered by a 64-bit processor, the S5 might have a 16 megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation. Running on the latest version of Android, the S5 could have a RAM of 3 or 4 GB.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Next in line in the Galaxy Note range of phablets is the Note 4. Rumoured to run on an eight-core processor, the Note 4 is widely anticipated to have a 16 megapixel ISOCELL camera capable of delivering exceptional photo quality.

Apple iPhone 6
With iOS7 released in September this year, the iPhone suddenly looks even better and smoother. It would be safe to bet that the next version of the iPhone could run iOS8. There is a lot of speculation that iPhone 6 could be a major revamp of the iPhone. Talks of a curved display have picked up speed after Apple was granted a patent for forming a curved display. Also, iPhone 6 could boast a better camera.

LG G Flex
LG brought a revolutionary change in handling a smartphone when it launched the G2 this year. And with the G Flex, LG has introduced its first curved display smartphone. Available in India only in February 2014, the LG G Flex has a 6-inch display, runs on a gigantic 3,500 mAH battery, and has a 2.26 GHz processor with 2 GB RAM. Another enticing feature about the LG Flex is its self-healing back panel. Thou shalt not fall prey to scratches and bruises!

Xperia Z2 Avatar
Running on the latest version of Android (KitKat 4.4), the Z2 could boast exceptional camera qualities. The camera on the Z2 could start at 20.7 megapixels, and instead of the regular LED flash, the Z2 might have Xenon flash that would improved the picture quality immensely.

HTC M8
Running on the lines of the HTC One, the M8 is speculated to be HTC’s latest flagship offering. The M8 could have a 5-inch Full HD display and run Android 4.4 (KitKat). Running on a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the M8 might also have 2 GB RAM. There are also talks of a fingerprint sensor and a mammoth 4,000 mAH battery.

Lumia 1820
After introducing the 41-megapixel Lumia 1020, Nokia is planning to come out with its first camera-centric phone. The Lumia 1820 is speculated to have a Lyto-style camera which would allow users to change the focus of the picture after it has been clicked. Running on Windows 8.1, the 1820 could also have a metal unibody.

BlackBerry Q30
Tipped for a late 2014 release, Q30 could be the next BlackBerry 10 QWERTY phone. It might run on a 2.3 GHz processor and 3GB RAM. Sporting a 4 inch display, the Q30 is expected to make typing more easier and faster.

HTC Butterfly 2
There is news popping up everywhere that HTC is working on a sequel to the Butterfly. This sequel might be a waterproof one! There are talks that the HTC Butterfly 2 could be a waterproof phone. The Butterfly 2 might also sport a 5.2 inch display.

Huawei Glory 4
The Huawei Glory 4 is said to have a 5.5 inch screen. The Glory 4 is rumoured to be a swift phone that could run on an octa-core processor, and come with 2GB onboard RAM.

So, there you have it – a new year, a new bunch of smartphones with loads of features. The battle lines are drawn for a renewed smartphone war in 2014.

Information based on market reports and industry expectations; photos of all unreleased models unavailable.

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