“These are the top smartphones that are expected to kick off the new year in the Indian handset market”
2018 has been a particularly interesting year in terms of smartphone launches. We have seen the display notch proliferating various price points, while many manufacturers tried to get rid of display notch by resorting to sliding displays or even punch-hole selfie camera. We also saw triple- and even quadruple-camera setups. We can expect the journey to be only better from here, and the month of January 2019 seems to have several interesting launches lined up for the Indian smartphone market. Here’s a list of top phones that are slated to launch in the first month of the new year.
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Honor View 20
Honor recently teased the launch of the Honor View 20 in India and confirmed that it will be an Amazon-exclusive in the country. The View 20 is yet another phone that comes with a piercing in the display for the selfie camera. Moreover, the handset flaunts an industry leading 48-megapixel shooter on the back panel accompanied by a 3D ToF (time of flight) sensor. The flagship handset comes with a 6.4-inch IPS display with Full HD+ resolution, HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset, 25-megapixel front camera and a 4,000mAh battery with support for 22.5 SuperCharge fast charging tech.
Samsung Galaxy M10 and M20
There have been rumours for some time now that Samsung will likely replace the smartphones in the Galaxy On and J range with an all-new Galaxy M series. There are rumours that the chaebol has already started the mass production of its debut smartphones — the Galaxy M10 and M20 in India. Reportedly, both the Galaxy M10 and M20 will come powered by Exynos 7870 and Exynos 7885 chipset respectively, with 3-gigs of RAM. Moreover, the upcoming smartphones are expected to be the first smartphones to come with a display notch. Previous leaks have suggested that these phones will be sporting full HD+ panels with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. There is another device called the Galaxy M30 which can be expected to launch next month, however not much is known about the same.
Mobiistar X1 Notch
The Vietnamese smartphone manufacturer Mobiistar will also be kickstarting the new year by launching its first ever notch display smartphone called X1 Notch. The handset is expected to come with a glossy design, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, 13-megapixel AI-powered camera at both the front and rear. Sadly, no other details of the phone are available at the moment except that it will be priced under Rs 10,000 in the country. Further, the leak suggested that the X1 Notch will be offered in Gradient Shine, Midnight Black, and Sapphire Blue hues.
XOLO Era 4X
Xolo has been lying dormant for almost a year now in India, but recently a new smartphone from the brand has been listed on the Amazon India website. The new smartphone called the Era 4X comes as a successor to the Era 3X (first impressions) and is the latest addition to the selfie-centric series from the brand. The smartphone ships with a 5.4-inch 18:9 display with Gorilla Glass protection. On the imaging front, the Y9 (2019) offers an 8-megapixel shooter and a 5-megapixel secondary camera on the front. Other features include Android 8.1 Oreo, 3,000mAh battery with AI technology and face unlock.
Huawei Y9 (2019)
Huawei also listed its next mid-range smartphone, Y9 (2019) on the Amazon India website, which is expected to go launch soon. The new offering from the brand will come with a large 6.5-inch IPS display featuring full HD+ resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio for the notch. Powering the smartphone is 12nm Kirin 710 SoC backed by either 4GB or 6GB RAM with 64GB or 128GB storage, respectively. In the camera department, the Y9 (2019) features a 16MP + 2MP setup on the back and 13MP + 2MP module on the front. Other features include Android 8.1 Oreo and a 4,000mAh battery that supports 10W fast charging.
Honor 10 Lite
The Honor 10 Youth Edition launched in China last year is all set to debut in the Indian market as the Honor 10 Lite this month. The smartphone features a 6.21-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution and waterdrop notch. The Honor 10 Lite also gets the Kirin 710 chipset ticking at its core with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. The storage options include 64GB and 128GB depending on the variant. Other features include 13MP + 2MP setup on the back, a 24MP camera on the front, Android Pie-based EMUI 9.0 and a 3,320mAh battery.
Huawei Nova 4
It’s now no secret that smartphones makers are trying to move away from the display notch and one of the most recent solutions comes in the form of a punch-hole display. The Huawei Nova 4 is one of the first handsets to feature a punch-hole in the display for the selfie camera. The device comes with a bezel-less 6.41-inch display with Full-HD+ resolution, HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, 25MP selfie camera, 20-megapixel (aperture unknown) + 16-megapixel (f/2.2) + 2-megapixel (f/2.4) rear setup and a powerful 3,750mAh battery.
These are the top smartphones expected to launch in India in the first month of the new year. Which one of these will you be putting your money on? Let us know in the comment box below.
