It’s almost the end of 2021, and it’s been a great year for smartphones and tablets. Even in December there were a lot of new smartphone launches, including some exciting ones. We’ve seen some excellent devices being announced this month, such as the OPPO Find N, the Huawei P50 Pocket, and Xiaomi’s 12 series. Brands such as Vivo, iQOO, Motorola, Samsung, Infinix, and Tecno also launched several mid and budget smartphones. Let’s take a look at all the major smartphones that were launched in December 2021.
OPPO Find N
The OPPO Find N is the first foldable smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer. The OPPO Find N’s outer 5.49-inch display has an 18:9 aspect ratio, making the phone more normal in size compared to other foldables. The inner display is still a large 7.1-inch panel that is said to offer almost no crease.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset, and gets up to 12 GB RAM and 512GB storage. It houses a 4,500mAh battery with 35W fast charging support. There’s a triple rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, 16-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 12-megapixel telephoto unit. The Find N also has two selfie cameras, one on the inner display, and the other on the outer screen.
Xiaomi 12 series
Xiaomi announced its latest 12 series of smartphones in China recently. The line-up consists of the vanilla Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro, and Xiaomi 12X. While the 12 and the 12 Pro share the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, the 12X is equipped with the Snapdragon 870.
All three phones come with an AMOLED panel that offers 120Hz refresh rate, with the 12 Pro offering a high-resolution 2K panel. The 12 Pro offers the best features, including 120W fast charging support, and a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup. The vanilla 12 and the 12X come with 67W fast charging support.
Huawei P50 pocket
The Huawei P50 Pocket is the manufacturers’ first foldable flip smartphone and is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in terms of the folding mechanism. However, the phone has a very unique exterior, which is thanks to its circular display and camera module.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset, and features a 6.9-inch internal foldable screen that offers 120Hz refresh rate. It gets up to 12GB of RAM, 512GB storage, and Wi-Fi 6. The circular camera module features a 40-megapixel True Chroma sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide unit, and a 32-megapixel ultra spectrum sensor. The device houses a 4,000mAh battery that supports 40W fast charging support. Unlike other Snapdragon 888 powered phones, the P50 Pocket is a 4G only device.
Vivo S12 series
The new Vivo S12 series consists of the standard S12 and the S12 Pro. Both these phones come equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 1000 series chipsets, and offer 6.4-inch AMOLED displays with 90Hz refresh rate. The Vivo S12 comes with the Dimensity 1100 SoC, whereas the Pro version gets the Dimensity 1200 chipset.
The rear camera setup on both devices are same, which includes a 108-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro unit. Vivo has offered a dual-selfie camera setup on the S12 series. Both devices have an 8-megapixel ultra-wide unit on the front, but the primary sensors are different. The S12 gets a 44-megapixel sensor, whereas the S12 Pro gets a 50-megapixel unit. Another difference between the two devices is the battery capacity. The Vivo S12 gets a 4,200mAh cell, whereas the Pro variant gets a slightly bigger 4,300mAh battery. Both support 44W fast charging.
iQOO Neo 5s/Se
iQOO launched the Neo 5s and Neo 5 SE this month, both of which of mid-range flagship smartphones. The Neo 5s comes with the Snapdragon 888 chipset, whereas the Neo SE is powered by the Snapdragon 870.
The Neo 5s comes with a 6.62-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, a 4,500mAh battery with 66W fast charging support, up to 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, a 16-megapixel front camera, and a 48-megapixel triple rear camera setup. On the other hand, the Neo SE features a 6.67-inch LCD panel with 144Hz refresh rate, a 4,500mAh battery with 55W fast charging support, and a 50-megapixel primary rear camera. Most of the other features remain the same between the two phones.
Tecno Spark 8T
The Tecno Spark 8T is a mid-range affordable smartphone that was launched earlier this month in India. It is priced around Rs 8,999 and comes with a MediaTek Helio G35 processor. The phone features a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD display that offers a peak brightness of 500 nits. It gets a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support and an 8-megapixel front camera. At the back, there’s a dual-camera setup with a primary 50-megapixel unit. A good buy at the price.
Infinix Note 11 series
Infinix also launched its Note 11 series in India this month, which includes the Note 11, and the Note 11S. Both phones feature a similar design but offer slightly different hardware. The Note 11 gets a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel, whereas the Note 11S features a 6.9-inch FHD+ LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
The standard Note 11 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, while the Note 11S gets the more powerful Helio G96 SoC. In the camera department, both phones feature a triple rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor. The smartphones also get a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Moto G51 and Moto Edge S30/x30
Motorola launched three smartphones this month, which include the Moto G51, the Moto Edge S30, and the Moto Edge X30. The Moto G51 is a mid-range smartphone that gets a Snapdragon 480+ chipset, a 5,000mAh battery with 20W fast charging support, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and a 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz display.
The Moto Edge S30 is a flagship phone with a Snapdragon 888+ processor, up to 12GB RAM, a 100-megapixel triple rear camera setup, 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support, and a 6.8-inch FHD+ LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the Moto Edge X30 is also a flagship, but with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. It gets a 6.7-inch OLED FHD+ 144Hz display, a 5,000mAh battery with 68W fast charging support, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and a massive 60-megapixel selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy A13
The Samsung Galaxy A13 is yet another mid-range smartphone launched early on this month. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, and will be sold exclusively in the United States for now.
The phone gets a 6.5-inch HD+ 90Hz display, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support, and a triple rear camera setup with a main 50-megapixel sensor. It gets a 5-megapixel selfie camera, USB Type-C, and comes with 5G support.
