10 Smartphones To Look Forward To In 2023 If You Wanna Upgrade Your Device
A lot of expected heavyweights.
By Hafiz Zainuddin — 03 Feb 2023, 04:44 PM
"What smartphone should I get in 2023?"
If that's the question you've been typing into Google Search, we've got you covered! Whether it's time to change your smartphone or you just feel like upgrading, 2023 will be featuring a whole range of new models from major tech brands.
To ensure you don't miss out on any potential smartphones in the pipeline, we've compiled a list of upcoming releases that you'll wanna keep your eye out for.
1. Samsung Galaxy S23 series
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series officially unpacked today on 3 February 2023, and it boasts a lot of exciting features.
For starters, the S-Pen-equipped Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a whopping 200MP camera, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and also with a base 256GB storage. All three devices will also feature a floating camera design in lieu of a camera bump.
Release date: 3 February 2023
Confirmed pricing: Starts from RM3,899
2. VIVO X90 series
The VIVO X90 series was officially announced via livestream on 22 November 2022, quickly followed by its launch in China. An international launch is set to take place today at 3 February 2023, but it's still unclear which countries are involved.
According to TechAdvisor, VIVO Malaysia has confirmed to GSMArena that the X90 Pro+ won't be getting a Malaysian launch. However it is likely that we'll be getting the smaller version of the X90 Pro+, the VIVO X90.
Expected release date: International launch stream set to take place today on 3 February 2023, but unclear whether Malaysia is involved
3. OnePlus 11 5G
The OnePlus 11 is set to make its global experience on 7 February, which is just a few days away. It will also feature a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and 100-watt fast charging.
It's expected to come in numerous variants, but the OnePlus 11 5G will have a 50MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide camera, and 32MP telephoto camera.
Expected release date: 7 February 2023
4. Xiaomi 13 series
The Xiaomi 13 series officially launched in China in December 2022, and is expected to launch globally in Q1 of 2023, as reported by pocket-lint.
It features a flat display, rear panel camera, IP68 water resistance, and comes in White, Black, Grey, Light Green, and Light Blue. In addition to the traditional colours, the phones will also come in limited edition variants.
The most premium variant, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, features a 120Hz screen complemented with a 1440 resolution. Additionally, it also packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 4820mAh battery, and 120W charging.
Expected release date: Sometime in Q1 of 2023
5. Google Pixel 7a
The Google Pixel's 'a' series offer affordable counterparts to their premium devices. Last year, Google Pixel 6a made its mark as one of the best budget smartphones, as reported by Android Police.
Naturally, the expectations are quite high for the Pixel 7a as an affordable Android option. Like many others on this list, there's not a lot of information on the Pixel 7a yet, but leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo states that it may come as a foldable phone.
Expected release date: Q2 2023, according to previous releases
6. Apple iPhone 15 variants
Though it hasn't been officially announced yet, Apple is expected to release their iPhone 15 lineup later this year.
According to MacRumors, renowned Mac enthusiast and Apple leaker Unknownz21 said that the premium variants of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will feature Wi-Fi 6E which provides more bandwidth, faster connectivity speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity.
Expected release date: September 2023, according to past releases
7. Google Pixel 8 series
There's no definitive release date for the Pixel 8 smartphones yet, but most Pixel phones in the past usually launched in October, so we can expect to see it during a similar timeframe this year.
According to leaks by WinFuture, two potential Pixel 8 models codenamed 'Husky' and 'Shiba', could potentially feature up to 12GB of RAM. Additionally, the 'Shiba' will come with a 1080p screen, while the 'Husky' will is offering a 1344p screen.The design of the phone is still a mystery as of now.
Expected release date: October 2023, according to past releases
8. OPPO Reno 9 series
The OPPO Reno 9 series officially unveiled in China last year, but has yet to officially launch in Malaysia.
It comes in three variants, the OPPO Reno 9, OPPO Reno 9 Pro, and OPPO Reno 9 Pro Plus. It comes in three colours ranging from Bright Moon Black, Tomorrow Gold, and Slightly Drunken.
The most powerful of the bunch, the OPPO Reno 9 Pro Plus, sports a 50MP main (Sony IMX 890) + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP mono triple-camera setup that has OIS and an LED flash.
Expected release date: Launched in November 2022 in China, no information regarding official release in other countries as of now
9. Nothing Phone (2)
According to INVERSE, Nothing CEO and co-Founder Carl Pei, who was also the previous CEO of OnePlus, confirmed that the Phone (2) will be launching late of 2023.
There are not many details regarding the Phone (2) yet, but the CEO stated that it'll likely build on the transparent industrial design established by the Phone (1) and the rest of Nothing's product lineup. He also hopes that the iconic Glyph interface will make a comeback.
Expected release date: No definitive date. Late 2023 as confirmed by the CEO
10. Realme 10 Pro+ 5G
The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G launched November 2022, but it's still a good smartphone to pickup in 2023. It features a 6.7-inch, 120Hz IPS LCD display. In addition to that, it will also feature Android 13 with the Realme UI, alongside a 64MP main camera.
Release date: November 2022
Expected price: Starts from RM1,399
