Upcoming Smartphones 2026: iPhone 18 Series To Samsung Galaxy S26 Lineup — Key Devices To Watch

The smartphone industry is expected to witness a busy year in 2026, with many top brands gearing up to release their flagship devices in the coming months. While tech enthusiasts are looking forward to new launches across price segments from top brands, all eyes will be on the much-anticipated rollout of Apple’s iPhone 18 series and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup.

Several other smartphone makers, including OnePlus, Realme, Oppo and Vivo, are also expected to launch their new devices powered with AI-driven features. This promises 2026 to be a year of fierce competition and diverse choices for consumers across all segments in the smartphone industry. 

If you are planning to buy a new smartphone in the New Year, then it could be prudent to wait for a few more weeks. Here is a look at the upcoming smartphones in 2026 across major brands.

Realme 16 Pro Series 5G, scheduled to be launched on Jan. 6, will be among the first ones to come out in 2026. Along with other markets, the Realme 16 Pro Series 5G will make its debut in India as well. The lineup features handsets like Realme 16 Pro 5G and Realme 16 Pro+ 5G, with both models designed in collaboration with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa.

Details shared by the company highlight that the devices will be equipped with a 200-megapixel primary rear camera. The Realme 16 Pro+ 5G will feature a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera as well. 

The Redmi Note 15 5G will be introduced in India and the global market on Jan. 6. Also, fans are keenly waiting for its special edition variant, which has been dubbed as 'Redmi Note 15 5G 108 Master Pixel Edition'. 

Compared to its predecessor, the new smartphone will be backed by several key upgrades. It will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset. 

The much-awaited Oppo Reno 15 Series is rumoured to be released on Jan. 8. The series is expected to include three models: Reno 15, Reno 15 Pro and Reno 15 Pro mini. The key emphasis of this series is expected to be on the new design and AI-enhanced photography.

Designed with Oppo's HoloFusion Technology, these new smartphones will have an Aerospace-Grade Aluminium frame. 

Samsung is expected to launch its flagship S26 series in February 2026. Earlier, leaks by tipsters suggested that the South Korean electronics giant is likely to introduce Galaxy S26 Pro and Galaxy S26 Edge models that will replace its standard and Plus variants. However, these plans are now said to have been scrapped, owing to low sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. 

Customers can expect three models in the lineup, including Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Another major highlight in the tech sector will be the Pixel 11 series from Google, which might come out in August.

Much like the previous versions, customers can expect Google to introduce Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL models. Also, there are possibilities of a new Pixel Fold model. Google is expected to stay focused on advanced AI integration, powered by the next-generation Tensor chipset.

Apple is expected to roll out its much-awaited iPhone 18 series in September 2026. While Apple introduced a total of four models this year, the company is rumoured to be planning to shake things up for the next generation iPhones by skipping the launch of the standard model. This means the latest series may include iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, along with the iPhone Air successor.