Best Upcoming Phones you can't buy yet (Summer 2014)

The Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 just came out, but what’s next? If you’re like us and are never content with what you already have, then DT is here to help. There are a lot of exciting things coming later this year. It’s tough to keep track of them all, so we’ve put together this list of all the smartphones you’ll be drooling over by the end of this year.

On this page, you’ll find several phones we know are coming, but haven’t been announced yet. On page two we’ll get into some of the phones we know are coming, but have yet to hit store shelves.

Apple’s iPhone 6

iPhone 6 gold concept by Martin Hajek — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Whether you’re an Apple fan or not, the iPhone 6 is probably the biggest smartphone release of the year. If the many (many) rumors are correct, the company is sticking with tradition, and this year’s model will be drastically different from those before it.

The biggest departure will be its extra large screen, perhaps measuring 4.7-inches, with a higher pixel resolution. There’s plenty more gossip, too. The screen could be covered in unbreakable sapphire; the body could be very slim; and of course, iOS 8 could take yet more bold steps forward. There’s also a chance it’ll be joined by the iWatch, and there’s even talk of a second, even larger iPhone coming soon afterwards. We should know more around September.

Read our full iPhone 6 Rumor Roundup and iWatch Rumor Roundup.

LG G3

LG has continually upped its game for the last two years, and the rumored LG G3, its 2014 flagship Android phone, could be its best smartphone yet. The most exciting part? It’s looking highly likely that its 5.5-inch screen will have a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, which will make it the first device widely available with such a high pixel count. Other features to look out for include a new user interface, a possible octa-core processor, and 13-megapixel camera. The LG G3’s launch event should take place sometime before the summer.

Read our full LG G3 Rumor Roundup.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Talk about Samsung’s next phone and tablet hybrid has only just begun, but it’s already causing a stir. We expect the screen to be bigger than ever, at least 5.9-inches, and it may even be curved at the edges, making it entirely bezel-less. Like the LG G3, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 may also feature a 2560 x 1440 pixel screen resolution. It’s early days for Note 4 rumors, but we should expect at least a 16-megapixel camera, a waterproof chassis, and some flashy new handwriting recognition features. Samsung’s fond of announcing its newest Note phone during the IFA trade show, held in early September.

Read our full Galaxy Note 4 Rumor Roundup.

Amazon’s Fire 3D smartphone

One of the year’s most unusual phones could end up coming from a relative newcomer, Amazon. We’ve been hearing about its supposed plans to make a smartphone for years, but nothing has ever come of it, until set of leaked pictures made everything seem a little more real recently. If the phone does launch, it may come with a clever eye-tracking system to create a 3D user interface. We’ll have to wait to find out if this is the coolest feature ever, or the gimmick it sounds like, until Amazon finally makes it official.

Read our full Amazon Fire 3D Phone Rumor Roundup.

HTC One M8 Mini

HTC spun off the popular HTC One several times, coming up with the One Mini and the One Max, so it’s logical to imagine it’ll do the same with the recently announced One M8. Rumors of the One M8 Mini have already started to spread. If they’re accurate, it’ll probably have a 4.5-inch, 720p screen, a quad-core processor, and Android 4.4 with Sense 6.0. However, it probably won’t have the One M8’s Duo Camera, and may shun the UltraPixel setup completely, in favor of a standard 13-megapixel camera. Hints have been dropped the phone will be headed to Verizon, and that it could be announced in May.

Read our HTC One M8 Mini Rumors Page.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom

Samsung’s follow-up to the Galaxy S4 Zoom, which may be named the K Zoom, Galaxy K, or a combination of both, is all set to be announced at an event later in April. Expect some major changes over its predecessor, including a thinner chassis, a larger screen and a faster processor. The good news is, if leaked pictures are correct, the camera lens should be flush against the body, but still retain a 10x optical zoom. We’ll bring you all the news from the event on April 29, when we’ll find out for sure what Samsung is going to name its new phone.

Read our full Galaxy K Zoom Rumor Roundup.

Next page: The upcoming phones we already know about

The hottest phones we’re waiting on this summer

There are a bunch of phones that have already been shown off, but we’re still waiting for our chance to actually buy them. Here are some of our favorites.

Sony Xperia Z2

Announced at Mobile World Congress in February, some Xperia Z2 smartphones have made it into the hands of a few customers, but the U.S. is still waiting for firm news of its arrival. When it does go on sale, you’ll get a gorgeous 5.2-inch, 1080p display, a Snapdragon 801 processor, a 20.7-megapixel camera, and Android 4.4.2.

Watch our Xperia Z2 Hands-On Video.

OnePlus One

OnePlus is a new name in the smartphone world, but it has really grabbed our attention with the OnePlus One, its debut device. Priced at $300 for the 16GB model, the phone has a 5.5-inch 1080 screen, a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera, and a sleek magnesium body shell. The exact release date hasn’t been confirmed, but it’ll be out in the U.S. before the end of June.

Read our full OnePlus One Guide.

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia showed off the Lumia 930 at Microsoft’s Build 2014, and it’s all set to be one of the first phones on sale with Windows Phone 8.1 already installed. Along with the new operating system, which includes Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana, the 930 has a 5-inch, 1080p screen, a quad-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 20-megapixel camera. The phone is very similar to Verizon’s Lumia Icon, and should be on sale in June.

Read our post on the Lumia 930 and 635.

Nokia Lumia 635

Another Nokia Lumia phone revealed at Build 2014, the Lumia 635 will offer Windows Phone 8.1 fun on a budget. It’s the 4G LTE equivalent of the Lumia 630, and has a 4.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixel resolution, a Snapdragon 400 processor, and a 5-megapixel camera. The best thing about it is the price, which should be around XX

Oppo Find 7

Oppo’s latest phone is one of the first to be announced with a 1440p screen. It will be available unlocked, without a contract, through Oppo’s online store. However, don’t dismiss the Find 7. We liked the Oppo N1, and the new Find 7 looks equally cool. The 5.5-inch screen has that amazing resolution, the camera can take 50-megapixel pictures, and the device is powered by a Snapdragon 801. It’s the first Oppo phone to have 4G LTE as well. We’re expecting the final release date to come sometime in May.

Read our post on the Oppo Find 7.

We’ll update this list as new phones come out, or we find out more details on the rumored hardware, so check back often.

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Article update archive

Updated on 4-23-2014: Article rewritten to include current phones.

Updated on 6-28-2013: Article rewritten to include current phones.

Updated on 2-15-2013: Rewrote article to include current phones.

Updated on 10-3-2012: Dropped released phones and added some new devices.

Article originally published August 20, 2012.

The 11 hottest iOS, Android, and Windows Phones you can’t buy yet