These 5 phones have me excited about 2026

2026 could be a great year for the mobile industry, thanks to these five expected mobiles.

January 2026 is already underway, five days are already gone, and the year is off to a flyer. It is that time of the year when I have some time to think about what to expect from the mobile industry going forward. This is especially true considering that 2025 was a phenomenal year for mobile phones for myriad reasons.

iPhone Air 2 is expected to bring big refinements over the first-generation model. (Shaurya Sharma - HT)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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We saw the Samsung Galaxy Trifold bring trifold designs into the mainstream foldable lineup. We saw Apple introducing a new design to the iPhone lineup after several years. It was a refresh that many expected, but it was a long time coming, and this finally delivered on that expectation.

We also saw brands like Samsung and Google bring even more finesse to their already polished devices in the form of the Pixel 10 series and the Galaxy S25 series. Then there were brands like Realme, which took risks and delivered a fun camera experience by introducing the Ricoh collaboration with the Realme GT 8 Pro.

So yes, 2025 was a phenomenal year for phones, one of the best in the last decade or so, I believe. And that has definitely got me excited for 2026.

Here are five phones that I am personally really excited for this year. Read on for the details.

Google Pixel 11 series

The Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and the Pixel 10 were major refinements compared to the Pixel 9 series. Google ironed out a lot of shortcomings, but at the end of the day, they were still refinements. Google followed the same formula, a fresh Pixel design, which is arguably one of the best-looking designs in the Android world, paired with a reliable camera system, polished software, and the latest AI features.

Now, with the Pixel 11 series, I think Google could do something new. The major thing I want from the Pixel 11 is a faster chipset. As strong as the Tensor processors are when it comes to AI, they still lag behind the competition in raw performance. If Google can bridge this gap and bring a faster processor, it would make the Pixel 11 a really solid package.

Apple iPhone Air 2

Yes, the iPhone Air was one of my favourite phones of 2025. I think Apple did a great job with the first-generation product. With the iPhone Air 2, there are rumours that Apple could bring a dual camera setup along with other refinements. The same design paired with dual cameras could make it a really interesting proposition.

It would also be great to see additions like a stereo speaker setup if Apple can somehow incorporate it, because the mono speaker on the iPhone Air is, in my opinion, its weakest link. All in all, I am excited about the iPhone Air 2 and keen to see what Apple brings with it.

Apple iPhone Fold

This could also be the year when we finally see the iPhone Fold, Apple’s very first foldable phone. It will be interesting to see whether it ends up feeling like two iPhone Airs folded together. Many industry experts expect Apple to completely eliminate the crease, which would make things very interesting.

The crease has always been the one thing that has stopped me from using a foldable as my personal device, and if Apple manages to get rid of it, it would be a sight to see. Reports suggest that it could feature a dual camera system, and the design could be reminiscent of foldables like the Oppo Find N rather than the taller Z Fold-style devices. Again, it remains to be seen.

OnePlus 16

The OnePlus 15 turned out to be a great phone for the brand. It received strong reviews, and rightly so, given the balanced experience it offers. However, while the camera performance is certainly good, OnePlus is expected to bring a 200MP camera sensor to the OnePlus 16 this year, and that could really shake things up. It will be interesting to see what refinements OnePlus brings to the camera side of things, and whether it can match the camera performance of its siblings like the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the Vivo X300 Pro. If it manages to do that, it could make things very interesting and may even turn things around for the brand.

Realme GT 8

The Realme GT 8 is still to launch, and after reviewing the Realme GT 7 last year, I believe the GT 8 could bring a lot of value. The GT 8 Pro introduced the Ricoh GR collaboration for the cameras, and while there is no confirmed information yet, if Realme brings that same collaboration to the Realme GT 8, it could make for a very interesting camera proposition in the upper mid-range segment.

The GT 7 was also quite powerful, featuring the MediaTek Dimensity 9400E, so if the GT 8 offers something similar, it will be worth watching. Realme has also been doing interesting special editions, such as its Aston Martin F1 collaborations, and I hope the brand continues with that approach as well.