Mate 20, OnePlus 6T, and more – Every phone launching in October 2018
New phones get launched every month of the year, but it looks like the October 2018 smartphones are going to be something else. Not only are we seeing six major launches in the span of only a few weeks, but some of those devices are the most highly anticipated releases of the entire year.
It’s a little event we’re referring to as #phonepocalypse.
The biggest release of them all is obviously the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL, but we’ve also got some heavy hitters from OnePlus, LG, Samsung, and more. These launches are not only for smartphones: the events will also likely be launching pads for accessories and other products.
All of these companies are hoping that by releasing devices in October they’ll have a better shot at getting your holiday shopping money. If you plan on spending some cash on smartphones or smart gear in the next few months, you’ll want to go into October with a good idea of what to expect. With the list below, you can get the basics of what October 2018 smartphones are on the way and prepare accordingly!
Bring on the #phonepocalypse!
October 3 — LG V40 ThinQ
LG launched the LG V40 ThinQ on October 3. The V40 ThinQ continues the trends of LG’s V-series phones with its ultra-premium features, including a triple-lensed rear camera, a 32-bit DAC (with a headphone jack), two front-facing lenses for superior selfies, and more.
The LG V40 ThinQ specs include the expected flagship details: a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM, 64 or 128GB of internal storage, IP68 certification, and a 6.4-inch OLED display.
All those premium features come at a price, though: the LG V40 ThinQ will start at $900 at some carriers and go as high as $980 at others. That doesn’t make it the most expensive phone of the year or anything, but certainly isn’t easy on the wallet, either.
We spent some time with the LG V40 ThinQ and found it to be a very capable handset with some killer features. However, we felt it had poor battery life, a weak camera considering how many lenses are available, and of course — that high price was hard to swallow.
Check out our full review of the LG V40 ThinQ by clicking here.
As a side note, LG also launched a new smartwatch on October 3: the LG Watch W7. The device is notable for being a hybrid, having a touchscreen face as well as mechanical hands.
October 4 — Nokia 7.1
HMD Global launched the Nokia 7.1 on October 4. The Nokia 7.1 is an incremental upgrade over the Nokia 7, which launched in October 2017. This is not to be confused with the Nokia 7 Plus, which launched in February this year — that phone is a whole different animal.
The Nokia 7.1 is a mid-range Android One handset. It comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 chipset, and the option of either 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
However, the only model that will be available in the United States is the 3GB/32GB version. Did we mention the device is coming to the U.S.? Well, it is! Unlike the Nokia 7, the Nokia 7.1 will launch globally instead of being a China exclusive.
The Nokia 7.1 will cost $349 in America, while Europeans will have two choices: the 3GB/32GB variant for 319 euros (~$369) and the 4GB/64GB variant for 349 euros (~$404) respectively.
Pre-orders for the Nokia 7.1 open on October 5 and the device will get a general sale on October 28.
As a side note, HMD Global also launched two new sets of wireless headphones on October 4 which will launch in the U.K. and Europe before the end of the year.
October 9 — Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
Of all the devices on this list, none has had more of a rollercoaster ride this year than the Google Pixel 3 XL. Months before the scheduled unveiling of the latest flagship from Google, a black market seller pawned off dozens of prototype versions of the Pixel 3 XL, letting the world see pretty much everything there is about the device.
Now that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are both officially launched, we no longer have to base what we know about it from leaked info.
At the hardware event where Google launched the phones, the company placed a huge emphasis on the photography capabilities of the Pixel 3. As such, most of the features of the device center on taking photos, including wide-angle selfies, simple retouching, a new Night Mode, and more.
Other than that, most of the specs and information we already knew from the multiple leaks. If you somehow missed all that, you can see a full rundown of the specs for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL here.
Google also significantly raised the price for the Pixel 3 while slightly increasing the price of the Pixel 3 XL. The Google Pixel 3 starts at $799 for the 64GB model and the 128GB model goes for $899 (the Pixel 2 was $649 and $749 respectively). The Google Pixel 3 XL price-raising is less extreme, starting at $899 for the 64GB variant and going all the way up to $999 for the 128GB model (the Pixel 2 XL was $849 and $949 respectively)
Additionally, Google launched a new tablet called the Pixel Slate and a new smart display called the Google Home Hub. No other new hardware items were announced.
October 10 — Razer Phone 2
The original Razer Phone launched to much fanfare in 2017 as the first smartphone geared specifically towards gamers for gaming. Since then, other companies have either launched or said they will launch their own gaming phones, but the Razer Phone is definitely the OG when it comes to the modern gaming phone trend.
All in all, the Razer Phone was a solid piece of hardware, with some incredible specs (hello, 8GB of RAM!) and a more-than-reasonable price. However, reviews were lukewarm for the phone, mainly due to its abysmal camera (which Razer has since made much better through software updates).
From what we know so far, the Razer Phone 2 is going to be a slight tweak of the Razer Phone formula and not a wild overhaul. In fact, the leaked images we’ve seen show a device that looks nearly identical to the original Razer Phone. If you look up above, a leaked render of the Razer Phone 2 is on the right and the original Razer Phone is on the left. Look quickly and you likely would think they are exactly the same.
One of the bigger changes to the device will likely be the introduction of Razer Chroma lighting effects to the smartphone. It’s not yet totally clear how Chroma will be integrated into the phone, but it will certainly make Razer fans happy to see one of the company’s most distinctive features come to the gaming phone.
NEXT: Razer Phone 2 — All the rumors in one place
October 11 — Samsung Galaxy A9 (rumored)
We know for certain that Samsung will launch at least one smartphone on October 11, but we don’t really know which one. The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018), which is pictured above, just got unveiled, but Samsung may use the October 11 event to launch it in more countries.
However, the announcement of the October 11 event heavily suggested that Samsung is unveiling a smartphone with four cameras — and the Galaxy A7 (2018) has three rear sensors, not four. It could be that Samsung is counting the front-facing camera as well, which would suggest that it meant the 2018 A7.
Potentially though, it could be that Samsung is launching another device on October 11 in tandem with the 2018 A7 or on its own: the Samsung Galaxy A9. A leaked set of specs suggests that the Galaxy A9 will have four rear camera lenses along with a Snapdragon 660 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a 6.28-inch AMOLED screen (full HD+), an 8MP f/1.7 selfie camera, a 3,720mAh battery, and USB Type-C connectivity.
Whatever Samsung has in store for us on October 11, it’s clear that the company is really sticking to its promise of making its mid-range devices more exciting!
NEXT: Looks like we won’t have to wait for the Galaxy S10 for a triple camera Samsung phone
October 16 — Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro was our favorite smartphone of 2017, and from the way things are shaping up, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro could be a major contender for the 2018 prize.
We’ve seen a few leaks of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro already, but not nearly as many as we saw for the Google Pixel 3 XL. As such, we know quite a bit about the phone, but there’s still a lot of mystery.
That being said, we do have some good info about the features of the Mate 20 line, most notably the expected launch of the Kirin 980 processor, which will be the first 7-nanometer chipset in an Android device. This could potentially make the Mate 20 the fastest and most power-efficient Android phone on the market when it launches on October 16, as all the other flagships on this list are expected to ship with 10nm chips.
The Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are also expected to have triple rear cameras, like the Huawei P20 Pro. Huawei has been teasing the alleged square arrangement of the camera lenses and flash for a bit now.
We also are fairly certain that the Mate 20 will feature wireless charging, which is great since the Mate 10 has a glass back but curiously didn’t include the feature. We also suspect that you’ll be able to use the Mate 20 to wirelessly charge other devices, like the upcoming Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro.
NEXT: Huawei Mate 20 — All the rumors in one place
October 18 — Asus ROG Phone
It was in June when we first got a hands-on with the Asus ROG Phone — the first gaming phone from the venerable electronics company. Now, it looks like we’re finally going to see the device released with a surprise October 18 event which the company just announced.
Asus posted a tweet via its official Twitter account that shows a closeup shot of the ROG Phone along with the October 18 date and the words “Coming to New York.” This definitely suggests the ROG Phone will finally get an official launch in New York City on October 18.
Turns out, that theory is correct, as Asus confirmed that the event will be the U.S. launch of the ROG Phone. There will be two variants — with 128GB of storage or 512GB of storage — which will cost $899 and $1,099 respectively.
You can click here to see our hands-on review of the Asus ROG Phone.
NEXT: Asus ZenFone 5Z review: the “flagship killer” killer
October 30 — OnePlus 6T
We originally speculated that the OnePlus 6T would launch on October 17, but OnePlus recently confirmed the launch will happen instead on October 30 in New York City. You should be able to get your hands on the device shortly after, likely on November 6 for most areas of the world.
The OnePlus 6 is one of the most successful devices in the company’s history, selling a million units faster than any previous device as well as being the top-selling device in India for a time. The OnePlus 6T will likely be another huge success for the company, as it will introduce some new features (most notably an in-display fingerprint sensor) and — for the first time ever — launch in T-Mobile stores in the United States.
However, OnePlus fans were dismayed to find out that the OnePlus 6T will not have a headphone jack. OnePlus is one of the few companies that held onto the jack for a long while, even mentioning on stage during the OnePlus 6 launch that it still believes in the jack.
No matter what, the OnePlus 6T is shaping up to be one of the most exciting smartphones of the year, which is especially noteworthy when you see the other brand names on this list.
NEXT: OnePlus 6T — All the rumors in one place
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